Misplaced Pages

Estonia: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 12:53, 6 September 2012 view sourceJarkeld (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers16,318 editsm Reverted edits by 92.74.153.60 (talk) to last version by Jarkeld← Previous edit Revision as of 12:55, 6 September 2012 view source 188.98.9.242 (talk) Undid revision 511062656 by Jarkeld (talk)Next edit →
Line 1: Line 1:
#REDIRECT ]
{{About|the country}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{Infobox country
| native_name = {{native name|et|Eesti Vabariik|icon=no}}
| conventional_long_name = Republic of Estonia
| common_name = Estonia
| national_anthem = '']''<br /><small>(English: {{lang|en|"''My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy''"}})</small><br></center>
| image_flag = Flag of Estonia.svg
| image_coat = Coat of arms of Estonia.svg
|image_map = EU-Estonia.svg
|map_caption = {{map_caption |location_color=dark green |region=Europe |region_color=dark grey |subregion=the ] |subregion_color=green |legend=EU-Estonia.svg}}
| capital = ]
| latd=59|latm=25|latNS=N|longd=24|longm=45|longEW=E
| largest_city = ]
| official_languages = ]<sup>1</sup>
| regionally_spoken_languages = ], ]
| ethnic_groups = 69% ] (including 5,4% ] and 0,93% ]<ref></ref>),<br />25.4% ],<br />2% Ukrainians,<br />1.1% Belarusians,<br />0.8% Finns,<br />1.6 % others<ref name="stat.ee-nationality">{{cite web|url=http://www.stat.ee/34278|title=Population by ethnic nationality, 1&nbsp;January, year|work=stat.ee|publisher=Statistics Estonia|accessdate=2 July 2012}}</ref>
| ethnic_groups_year = 2012
| government_type = ]
| leader_title1 = ]
| leader_name1 = ] (nonpartisan, until 1 January 2007 – ])
| leader_title2 = ]
| leader_name2 = ] (])
| leader_title3 = ]
| leader_name3 = ] (])
| leader_title4 = ]
| leader_name4 = (], ])
| legislature = ]
| sovereignty_type = ]
| sovereignty_note = from ]
| established_event4 = ]
| established_date4 = 12 April 1917
| established_event5 = ]<br />]
| established_date5 = 24 February 1918<br /><br />2 February 1920
| established_event6 = ]
| established_date6 = 1940–1941
| established_event7 = ]
| established_date7 = 1941–1944
| established_event8 = ]
| established_date8 = 1944–1991
| established_event9 = ]
| established_date9 = 20 August 1991
| accessionEUdate = 1 May 2004
| EUseats =
| area_km2 = 45,227
| area_sq_mi = 17,413<!--Do not remove per ]-->
| area_rank = 132nd<sup>2</sup>
| area_magnitude = 1 E10
| percent_water = 4.45%
|population_estimate = 1,340,194<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stat.ee/main-indicators |title=Statistics Estonia |publisher=Stat.ee |date=1 January 2011 }}</ref>
| population_estimate_year = 2010
| population_estimate_rank = 151st
| population_census = 1,294,236<ref name="2012 census, volume 1">{{Cite journal
|url=http://www.stat.ee/63779
|title=2012. Aasta rahva ja eluruumide loendus (Population and Housing Census)
|subtitle=Kodakondsus, rahvus, emakeel, ja voorkeelte oskus (Citizenship, Nationality, Mother Tongue and Command of Foreign Languages)
|volume=1
|year=2012
|publisher=Statistikaamet (Statistical Office of Estonia)
|language=Estonian and English
|isbn=9985-74-202-8
|format=PDF
}}</ref>
| population_census_year = 2012
| population_density_km2 = 29
| population_density_sq_mi = 75 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
| population_density_rank = 181st
| GDP_PPP_year = 2012
| GDP_PPP = $27.313 billion<ref name=imf2>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=47&pr.y=9&sy=2009&ey=2012&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=939&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a= |title=Estonia|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=18 April 2012}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_rank =
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = $21,059<ref name=imf2/>
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =
| GDP_nominal = $22.225 billion<ref name=imf2/>
| GDP_nominal_rank =
| GDP_nominal_year = 2012
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = $16,636<ref name=imf2/>
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank =
| HDI_year = 2011
| HDI = {{increase}}0.835<ref name="HDI">{{cite web|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2011/|title=Human Development Report 2011|year=2011|publisher=United Nations|accessdate=14 August 2011}}</ref>
| HDI_rank = 34th
| HDI_category = <span style="color:#090;">very&nbsp;high</span>
| Gini = 31.4
| Gini_year = 2009
| currency = ] (])<sup>3</sup>
| currency_code = EUR
| time_zone = ]
| utc_offset = +2
| time_zone_DST = ]
| utc_offset_DST = +3
| drives_on = right
| cctld = ]<sup>4</sup>
| calling_code = ]
| ISO_3166-1_alpha2 = EE
| ISO_3166-1_alpha3 = EST
| ISO_3166-1_numeric = ?
| alt_sport_code = EST
| vehicle_code = EST
| aircraft_code = EST
| demonym = Estonian
| footnote1 = ] and ] in ] are spoken along with ]. ] is still unofficially spoken in ] and Tallinn, due to the ] from the ] in the post-war period.
| footnote2 = {{convert|47549|km²|0|abbr=on}} were defined according to the ] in 1920 between Estonia and ]. Today the remaining {{convert|2323|km²|0|abbr=on}} are still occupied and part of ].<br />The ceded areas include most of the former ] and areas behind the ] including ] (Jaanilinn).<ref>] Soviet territorial changes against Estonia after World War II</ref><ref>] under Russian control</ref>
| footnote3 = Before 2011: ] (EEK).
| footnote4 = ] is also shared with other member states of the European Union.
}}
'''Estonia''' {{IPAc-en|audio=en-us-Estonia.ogg|ɨ|s|ˈ|t|oʊ|n|i|ə}} ({{lang-et|Eesti}}), officially the '''Republic of Estonia''' ({{lang-et|Eesti Vabariik}}), is a ] in the ] of ]. It is bordered to the north by the ], to the west by the ], to the south by ] (343&nbsp;km), and to the east by ] and the ] (338.6&nbsp;km).<ref>. Official website of the Republic of Estonia (in Estonian)</ref> Across the ] lies ] in the west and ] in the north. The territory of Estonia covers {{convert|45227|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, and is influenced by a ]. The ] are a ], and the official language, ], is closely related to ].

Estonia is a democratic ] divided into 15 ]. The capital and largest city is ]. With a population of 1.29&nbsp;million, it is one of the least-populous members of the ], ] and the ]. Estonia has the highest ] per person among the former ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20110628230137/http://www.globalpolitician.com/2614-baltic-eu-expansion-estonia |title=Estonian Economic Miracle: A Model For Developing Countries |publisher=Global Politician |accessdate=5 June 2011}}</ref> It is listed as a "high-income economy" by the World Bank, is identified as an "advanced economy" by the ], and is a member of the ]. The United Nations classifies Estonia as a ] with a very high ],<ref name="HDI"/> and the country ranks highly in measures of ], ], ] and ].

==Etymology==<!--linked-->
One theory is that the modern name of Estonia originated from the ] described by the ] historian ] in his '']'' (ca. 98&nbsp;AD).<ref>'']'', ], Chapter XLV</ref><!-- needs better source-->

On the other hand, ancient ]n ] refer to a land called ''Eistland'', close to the ], German, ], ] and ] term ''Estland'' for the country. Early ] and other ancient versions of the name are ''Estia'' and ''Hestia''. {{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}

''Esthonia'' was a common alternate English spelling prior to independence.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=New York Times|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70A10FE355B12738DDDAE0994DC405B868EF1D3|title=Spell it "ESTHONIA" here; Geographic Board Will Not Drop the "h," but British Board Does.|date=17 April 1926|accessdate=6 November 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Ineta Ziemele|title=Baltic yearbook of international law|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=iGLp7QEelbIC&pg=PA26|accessdate=24 December 2011|date=20 March 2002|publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers|isbn=978-90-411-1736-6|pages=26–}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Estonia}}

===Prehistory===
{{Main|Ancient Estonia}}

Human settlement in Estonia became possible 11,000 to 13,000&nbsp;years ago, when the ice from the last ] melted. The oldest known settlement in Estonia is the ], which was on the banks of the ], near the town of ], in south-western Estonia. According to ] it was settled around 11,000&nbsp;years ago at the beginning of the 9th millennium&nbsp;BC.
]]]
] artefacts of a hoard from ].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Jüri Selirand|author2=Evald Tõnisson|title=Through past millennia: archaeological discoveries in Estonia|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=mu9KAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=24 December 2011|year=1984|publisher=Perioodika}}</ref>]]
Evidence has been found of hunting and fishing communities existing around 6500&nbsp;BC near the town of ] in northern Estonia. Bone and stone artefacts similar to those found at Kunda have been discovered elsewhere in Estonia, as well as in Latvia, northern ] and in southern ]. The ] belongs to the middle stone age, or ] period.

The end of the ] and the early ] were marked by great cultural changes. The most significant was the transition to farming, which has remained at the core of the economy and culture. Between the 1st to 5th centuries&nbsp;AD resident farming was widely established, the population grew, and settlement expanded. Cultural influences from the ] reached Estonia.

The first mention of the people inhabiting present-day Estonia is by the ] historian ], who in his book '']'' (ca. AD&nbsp;98) describes the ] tribe. Tacitus mentions their term for ] in an apparently Latinised form, ''glesum'' (cf. ] ''glīsas''). This is the only word of their language recorded from antiquity. In spite of this point, the Aestii are generally considered the ancestors of the later ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20070804133541/http://www.leiel.ee/htdocs/index.php?op=&pg=Page3&storyid=2003/9/5/108 |author=Enn Kaljo|title= Üks väga väga vana rahvas |publisher=Leiel.ee |date=5 September 2003 |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Tomas Baranauskas |url=http://viduramziu.lietuvos.net/s100.htm |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080210035616/http://viduramziu.lietuvos.net/s100.htm |archivedate=10 February 2008 |title=Viduramžių Lietuva – Šaltiniai 50-1009 m |publisher=Web.archive.org |date=10 February 2008 |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://arhiiv2.postimees.ee:8080/leht/98/11/22/uudised.shtm#seitsmes |title=Postimees arhiiv |publisher=Arhiiv2.postimees.ee:8080 |date=22 November 1998|language=Estonian |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

A more troubled and war-ridden middle ] followed with external dangers coming both from the ], who attacked across the southern land border, and from overseas. Several ]n ] refer to retaliatory campaigns against Estonia. ] conducted similar raids against the ]. The "pagan raiders" who sacked the ] town of ] during the early Middle Ages, in 1187, were Estonians.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://heninen.net/sigtuna/english.htm |title=Raid on Sigtuna |publisher=Heninen.net |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

In the 1st centuries AD, political and administrative subdivisions began to emerge in Estonia. Two larger subdivisions appeared: the province (Estonian: '']'') and the land (Estonian: '']''). The province comprised several elderships or villages. Nearly all provinces had at least one ]. The defense of the local area was directed by the highest official, the king or ]. By the 13th century the following major lands had developed in Estonia: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref>Estonia and the Estonians (Studies of Nationalities) Toivo U. Raun p.11 ISBN 0-8179-2852-9</ref>

Estonia retained a ] religion centred around a deity called ]. The ] mentions ] as the superior god of ]ians (inhabitants of ] island), also well known to ] tribes in northern Estonia.

===Viking Age===
] coin.]]
The ] or ] (] ''saarlased''; singular: ''saarlane'') were a historical subdivision of ] inhabiting ] ({{lang-da|Øsel}}; {{lang-de|Ösel}}; {{lang-sv|Ösel}}), an Estonian island in the ]. They are first thought to be mentioned as early as the 2nd century BC in ] ''Geography III''.<ref> ISBN 0-415-09136-5</ref> The Oeselians were known in the ] ] and in ] as ''Víkingr frá Esthland'' ({{lang-en|Estonian Vikings}}).<ref name="OTS">{{no icon}}</ref><ref> ISBN 0-7661-8693-8</ref><ref> ISBN 0-415-09136-5</ref><ref> ISBN 0-8122-1714-4</ref> Their sailing vessels were called pirate ships by ] in his Latin chronicles from the beginning of the 13th century.<ref> ISBN 0-231-12889-4</ref>

Perhaps the most renowned raid by Oeselian pirates occurred in 1187, with the attack on the Swedish town of ] by Finnic raiders from ] and ]. Among the casualties of this raid was the Swedish archbishop ]. The city remained occupied for some time, contributing to the decline as a center of commerce in the 13th century in favor of ], ], ] and ].<ref></ref>

The ] describes the Oeselians as using two kinds of ships, the ''piratica'' and the ''liburna''. The former was a warship, the latter mainly a merchant ship. A ''piratica'' could carry approximately 30 men and had a high prow shaped like a dragon or a snakehead as well as a quadrangular sail.

] treasures from Estonia mostly contain ] coins and bars. Compared to its close neighbors, ] has the richest finds of Viking treasures after ] in Sweden. This strongly suggests that Estonia was an important transit country during the Viking era.

The superior god of Oeselians as described by ] was called ]. According to the legend in the chronicle Tharapita was born on a forested mountain in ] ({{lang-la|]}}), mainland Estonia from where he flew to ], Saaremaa <ref> ISBN 0-231-12889-4</ref> The name Taarapita has been interpreted as "Taara, help!"/"Thor, help!" (Taara a(v)ita in Estonian) or "Taara keeper"/"Thor keeper" (Taara pidaja) Taara is associated with the Scandinavian god ]. The story of Tharapita's or Taara's flight from Vironia to Saaremaa has been associated with a major ] ] estimated to have happened in 660 ± 85 ] that formed ] in Saaremaa.

===Middle Ages===
{{Main|Livonian Crusade|Northern Crusades|Terra Mariana}}
]
] castle in ]]]
At the beginning of the 13th century, ], a chieftain of ] sought to unify the Estonian people and thwart Danish and Germanic conquest during the ]. He managed to assemble an army of 6,000 Estonian men from different counties, but he was killed during the ] in September 1217.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eestigiid.ee/?ItemID=227&PYear=aasta&Person=nimi&start=0 |title='&#39;Lembitu'&#39; |publisher=Eestigiid.ee |date=29 May 2010 |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

In 1228, in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade, to the 1560s, Estonia became part of ], established on 2 February 1207<ref>{{cite book|title=Latvian–Russian Relations: Documents|last=Bilmanis|first=Alfreds|year=1944|publisher=The Latvian legation|url=http://books.google.com/?id=OoEdAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=17 September 2009}}</ref> as a principality of the ]<ref>{{cite book|title=The Catholic Encyclopedia|last=Herbermann|first=Charles George|year=1907|publisher=Robert Appleton Company|url=http://books.google.com/?id=n2ocAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=17 September 2009}}</ref> and proclaimed by pope ] in 1215 as a subject to the ].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Church in Latvia|last=Bilmanis|first=Alfreds|year=1945|publisher=Drauga vēsts|url=http://books.google.com/?id=xRYXAAAAIAAJ|accessdate=17 September 2009}}</ref> The southern parts of the country were conquered by ] who joined the ] in 1237 and became its branch known as ]. The ] was formed in the northern parts of the country<ref>{{cite book|title=The Cambridge History of Scandinavia: Prehistory to 1520|last=Knut|first=Helle|year=2003|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=0-521-47299-7|url=http://books.google.com/?id=PFBtfXG6fXAC&pg=PA269|page=269|accessdate=17 September 2009}}</ref> as a ] of the ] from 1219 until 1346 when it was sold to the ] and became part of the ].<ref>{{cite book|title=Danish Medieval History, Chapter 7. Estonia under danish|last=Skyum-Nielsen|first=Niels|year=1981|publisher=Museum Tusculanum Press|isbn=87-88073-30-0|pages=112–135|url=http://books.google.com/?id=EUFCkqua7dUC&pg=PA112|accessdate=17 September 2009}}</ref> In 1343, the people of northern Estonia and ] rebelled against the German rule in the ], which was put down by 1345.

Reval (known as Tallinn since 1918) gained ] in 1248 and joined an alliance of trading guilds called the ] at the end of the 13th century.

After the Teutonic Order fell into decline following its defeat in the ] in 1410, and the defeat of the Livonian Order in the ] on 1 September 1435, the ] agreement was signed on 4 December 1435.<ref name="VLM">{{cite book|title=Vana-Liivimaa maapäev|last=Raudkivi|first=Priit|year=2007|publisher=Argo|isbn=9949-415-84-5|pages=118–119|url=http://books.google.com/?id=4QxtGQAACAAJ&dq}}</ref>
The ] and ] attempted unsuccessful invasions in 1481 and 1558.

The Livonian Confederation ceased to exist during the ] (1558–82). The wars had reduced the Estonian population from about 250–300,000 people before the Livonian War to 120–140,000 in the 1620s.<ref name=Pop/>

===Reformation and Swedish Estonia===
{{Main|Swedish Estonia|Duchy of Livonia|Dorpat Voivodeship|Parnawa Voivodeship}}
] in the first half of the 17th century.]]
] following the ] of 1658. The dark green shows ] represented in the ], while the other shades of green stand for different ] and ].]]

The ] in Europe officially began in 1517 with ] (1483–1546) and his ]. The Reformation resulted in great change in the ]. Ideas entered the ] very quickly and by the 1520s they were well known. Language, education, religion, and politics were greatly transformed. The ] services were now given in the local vernacular, instead of ], as was previously used.<ref> at University of Washington</ref> During the ] in 1561, northern Estonia submitted to Swedish control. Southern Estonia in 1560s formed an autonomous ] in the ] under joint control of the ] and ], containing two ]s of present-day Estonia: ] (] region) and ] (] region). In 1629, mainland Estonia ] under Swedish rule. Estonia was administratively divided between the provinces of ] in the north and ] in southern Estonia and northern ]. This division persisted until the early 20th century.

In 1631, the Swedish king ] forced the nobility to grant the peasantry greater rights, although serfdom was retained. King ] withdrew large noble estates to the Swedish Crown effectively turning serfs to taxpaying farmers. In 1632, a printing press and ] were established in the city of ] (known as ] since 1918). This period is known in Estonian history as ''"the Good Old Swedish Time."''

The steady growth of the population continued until the outbreak of the plague in 1657. The ] of 1695–97 killed some 70,000 people – almost 20% of the population.<ref name=Pop>{{cite web|url=http://www.estonica.org/en/History/1558-1710_Estonia_under_Swedish_rule/Population/ |title=1558–1710. Estonia under Swedish rule – Population |publisher=Estonica.org |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

===Russian Empire===
{{Main|Governorate of Estonia|Autonomous Governorate of Estonia}}

Following the ] during the ] (1700–21), the Swedish empire lost Estonia to ] by the ]. However, the upper classes and the higher middle class remained primarily ]. The war devastated the population of Estonia, but it recovered quickly. Although the rights of peasants were initially weakened, serfdom was abolished in 1816 in the province of Estonia and in 1819 in ]. After the ], Tallinn remained under Soviet control until 24 February 1918, when Estonian independence was declared.

===Declaration of independence===
{{Main|Occupation of Estonia by the German Empire|United Baltic Duchy|Estonian War of Independence|Vaps Movement|Estonian Provisional Government}}

]]]
]
As a result of the abolition of ] and the availability of education to the native Estonian-speaking population, an active Estonian nationalist movement developed in the 19th century. It began on a cultural level, resulting in the establishment of Estonian language literature, theatre and professional music and led on to the formation of the Estonian national identity and the ]. Among the leaders of the movement were ], ] and ].

] in ] on 23 February in 1918. One of the first images of the Republic.]]

Significant accomplishments were the publication of the ], '']'', in 1862, and the organization of the first ] in 1869. In response to a period of ] initiated by the ] in the 1890s, Estonian ] took on more political tones, with intellectuals first calling for greater autonomy, and later, complete independence from the ].

Following the ] takeover of power in ] after the ] of 1917 and ] victories against the Russian army, between the Russian ]'s retreat and the arrival of advancing German troops, the ] of the ] issued the ]<ref>. www.president.ee</ref> in ] on 23 February and in ] on 24 February 1918.

After winning the ] against both ] and the German ] and '']'' volunteers, (the ] was signed on 2 February 1920). The Republic of Estonia was recognised (de jure) by Finland on 7 July 1920, Poland on 31 December 1920, Argentina on 12 January 1921 and by the Western Allies on 26 January 1921.

Estonia maintained its independence for twenty-two years. Initially a ], the parliament (]) was disbanded in 1934, following political unrest caused by the ]. Subsequently the country was ruled by decree by ], who became President in 1938, the year parliamentary elections resumed.

===World War II===
{{Main|Estonia in World War II}}

The fate of Estonia in World War II was decided by the ] and its ] of August 1939. ] of Estonia, estimated at around 25% of the population, were among the highest in Europe. War and occupation deaths have been estimated at 90,000. These include the ] in 1941, the German deportations and ] victims.<ref name="BalticsInBritannica">]: </ref>
World War II began with the ] of an important regional ally of Estonia – ], by a joint operation of ] and ].

====Soviet occupation====
{{Main|Occupation of the Baltic states}}

]]]
The fate of the Republic of Estonia before World War II was decided by the ] of August 1939 after ] gained ]'s agreement to divide Eastern Europe into "spheres of special interest" according to the ] and its ].<ref>{{cite book|author=World Book, Inc|title=The World Book encyclopedia|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=uMpa9Ah1PiwC|accessdate=24 December 2011|year=2003|publisher=World Book|isbn=978-0-7166-0103-6}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book|author=Kevin O'Connor|title=The history of the Baltic States|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=b3b5nU4bnw4C|accessdate=24 December 2011|year=2003|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-32355-3}}</ref>

On 24 September 1939, warships of the ] appeared off Estonian ports and ] began a patrol over ] and the nearby countryside.<ref name="TM091939"> at ] on Monday, 9 October 1939</ref> The ] was forced to give their assent to an agreement that allowed the ] to establish military bases and station 25,000 troops on Estonian soil for "mutual defence".<ref>The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by David J. Smith, p. 24, ISBN 0-415-28580-1</ref> On 12 June 1940, the order for a total military blockade on Estonia was given to the Soviet ].<ref>. the State Archive of the Russian Navy (in Russian) ISBN 951-707-100-0</ref>

On 14 June 1940, while world's attention was focused on the fall of Paris to ] a day earlier, the Soviet military blockade on Estonia went into effect, two Soviet bombers downed the Finnish passenger airplane "'']''" flying from Tallinn to Helsinki carrying three diplomatic pouches from the U.S. legations in ], ] and ].<ref>Eric A. Johnson and Anna Hermann . Foreign Service Journal. American Foreign Service Association. May 2007</ref> On 16 June 1940, the Soviet Union invaded Estonia.<ref name="TM006241940"> at Time magazine on Monday, 24 Jun. 1940</ref> The Red Army exited from their military bases in Estonia on 17 June.<ref>Estonia: Identity and Independence by Jean-Jacques Subrenat, David Cousins, Alexander Harding, Richard C. Waterhouse ISBN 90-420-0890-3</ref> The following day, some 90,000 additional troops entered the country. In the face of overwhelming Soviet force, the Estonian government capitulated on 17 June 1940 to avoid bloodshed.<ref>The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by David J. Smith p.19 ISBN 0-415-28580-1</ref>

The military occupation of Estonia was complete by 21 June 1940.<ref>The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by David J. Smith, Page 27, ISBN 0-415-28580-1</ref>

Most of the ] ] according to the orders of the Estonian Government believing that resistance was useless and were disarmed by the Red Army.<ref>''14 June the Estonian government surrendered without offering any military resistance; The occupation authorities began... by disarming the Estonian Army and removing the higher military comman from power'' {{cite book|title=Toward an Understanding of Europe|last=Ertl|first=Alan|year=2008|publisher=Universal-Publishers|isbn=1-59942-983-7|page=394|url=http://books.google.com/?id=X9PGRaZt-zcC&pg=PA394|accessdate=17 September 2009}}</ref><ref>''the Estonian armed forces were disarmed by the Soviet occupation in June 1940'' {{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Estonia|last=Miljan|first=Toivo|year=2004|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=0-8108-4904-6|page=111|url=http://books.google.com/?id=XKWRct15XfkC&pg=PA111|accessdate=17 September 2009}}</ref> Only the Estonian Independent Signal Battalion stationed in Tallinn at Raua Street showed resistance to Red Army and Communist Militia called "People's Self-Defence"<ref>{{cite book|title=Baltic States: A Study of Their Origin and National Development, Their Seizure and Incorporation Into the U.S.S.R|publisher=W. S. Hein|page=280|url=http://books.google.com/?id=_LRAAAAAIAAJ|accessdate=17 September 2009|year=1972}}</ref> on 21 June 1940.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vp2001-2006.president.ee//en/duties/press_releases.php?gid=12614|title=The President of the Republic acquainted himself with the Estonian Defence Forces|accessdate=2 January 2009|date=19 December 2001|publisher=Press Service of the Office of the President}}</ref> As the Red Army brought in additional reinforcements supported by six ]s, the battle lasted several hours until sundown. Finally the military resistance was ended with ]s and the Independent Signal Battalion surrendered and was disarmed.<ref>. Estonian Defence Forces (in Estonian)</ref> There were 2 dead Estonian servicemen, Aleksei Männikus and Johannes Mandre, and several wounded on the Estonian side and about 10 killed and more wounded on the Soviet side.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.riigikogu.ee/ems/saros/0115/011510004.html|title=Riigikogu avaldus kommunistliku režiimi kuritegudest Eestis|accessdate=2 January 2009|last=784 AE|publisher=]|language=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Alo|last=Lohmus|title=Kaitseväelastest said kurja saatuse sunnil korpusepoisid|url=http://wwx.postimees.ee/161107/esileht/ak/294586.php|date=10 November 2007|accessdate=2 January 2009|language=Estonian}}</ref> The Soviet militia that participated in the battle was led by ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vana.kilb.ee/polva05_1.htm|title=Põlva maakonna 2005.a. lahtised meistrivõistlused mälumängus|accessdate=2 January 2009|date=22 February 2005|publisher=kilb.ee|language=]}}</ref>

In 6 August 1940, Estonia was illegally annexed by the Soviet Union as the ].<ref name=malksoo>{{Cite book|author=Mälksoo, Lauri|year=2003|title=Illegal Annexation and State Continuity: The Case of the Incorporation of the Baltic States by the USSR|location= Leiden – Boston|publisher= Brill| ISBN= 90-411-2177-3}}</ref> The provisions in the Estonian constitution requiring a popular referendum to decide on joining a supra-national body were ignored. Instead the vote to join the Soviet Union was taken by those elected in the sham elections held in the previous month. Additionally those who had failed to do their "political duty" of voting Estonia into the USSR, specifically those who had failed to have their passports stamped for voting, were condemned to death by Soviet tribunals.<ref name="TM191940"> at Time magazine on Monday, 19 Aug. 1940</ref> The repressions followed with the mass ] carried out by the Soviets in Estonia on 14 June 1941. Many of the country's political and intellectual leaders were killed or deported to remote areas of the USSR by the Soviet authorities in 1940–1941. Repressive actions were also taken against thousands of ordinary people.

When the German ] started against the Soviet Union, about 34,000 young Estonian men were forcibly drafted into the ]. Fewer than 30% of them survived the war. Political prisoners who could not be evacuated were executed by the ].<ref>The Baltic Revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Path to Independence by Anatol Lieven p424 ISBN 0-300-06078-5</ref>

Many countries, including the UK and US, did not recognise the annexation of Estonia by the USSR '']''. Such countries recognised Estonian ] and consuls who still functioned in the name of their former governments. These diplomats persisted in this anomalous situation until the ultimate ].<ref>Diplomats Without a Country: Baltic Diplomacy, International Law, and the Cold War by James T. McHugh, James S. Pacy ISBN 0-313-31878-6</ref>

Contemporary Russian politicians deny that the Republic of Estonia was illegally annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940. They state that the Soviet troops had entered Estonia in 1940 following the agreements and with the consent of the government of the Republic of Estonia, regardless of how their actions can be interpreted today. They maintain that the USSR was not in a state of war and was not waging any combat activities on the territory of Estonia; therefore there could be no occupation. The official ] and current ]n version claims that Estonians voluntarily gave up their statehood. ] of 1944–1976 are labeled "]" or "]". The Russian position is not recognised internationally.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsfromrussia.com/main/2005/05/05/59601.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071215005004/http://www.newsfromrussia.com/main/2005/05/05/59601.html |archivedate=15 December 2007 |title=Russia denies it illegally annexed the Baltic republics in 1940 – Pravda.Ru |publisher=Web.archive.org |date=5 May 2005 |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

====German occupation====
{{Main|Occupation of Estonia by Nazi Germany|Germanisation|The Holocaust|Reichskommissariat Ostland|Generalplan Ost|}}
]]]

After Germany ] the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, the ] was able to reach Estonia within days. The German Army crossed the Estonian southern ] on 7 July. The ] retreated behind the ] – ] line on 12 July. At the end of July the Germans resumed their advance in Estonia working in tandem with the Estonian ]. Both German troops and Estonian partisans took Narva on 17 August and the Estonian capital Tallinn on 28 August. After the Soviets were driven out from Estonia German troops disarmed all the partisan groups.<ref>Resistance! Occupied Europe and Its Defiance of Hitler by Dave Lande on Page 188, ISBN 0-7603-0745-8</ref>

Although initially the Germans were perceived by most Estonians as liberators from the USSR and its repressions, and hopes were raised for the restoration of the country's independence, it was soon realised that they were but another occupying power. The Germans used Estonia's resources for the war effort; for the duration of the occupation Estonia and was incorporated into the German province of ].

This led many Estonians, unwilling to side with the Nazis, to join the ] to fight against the Soviet Union. The ] (Estonian: ''soomepoisid'') was formed out of Estonian volunteers in Finland. Although many Estonians were recruited into the German armed forces (including ]), the majority of them did so only in 1944 when the threat of a new invasion of Estonia by the Red Army had become imminent and it was clear that Nazi Germany could not win the war.<ref>Estonia 1940–1945, Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity, p.613 ISBN 9949-13-040-9</ref>

By January 1944, the front was pushed back by the Red Army almost all the way to the former Estonian border. Narva was evacuated. ], the last legitimate prime minister of the Republic of Estonia (according to the ]) prior to its fall to the Soviet Union in 1940, delivered a radio address that appealed to all able-bodied men born from 1904 through 1923 to report for military service (Before this, Jüri Uluots had opposed Estonian mobilization.) The call drew support from all across the country: 38,000 volunteers jammed registration centres.<ref>Resistance! Occupied Europe and Its Defiance of Hitler (Paperback)
by Dave Lande on Page 200 ISBN 0-7603-0745-8</ref>

Several thousand Estonians who had joined the Finnish Army came back across the ] to join the newly formed Territorial Defense Force, assigned to defend Estonia against the Soviet advance. It was hoped that by engaging in such a war Estonia would be able to attract Western support for the cause of Estonia's independence from the USSR and thus ultimately succeed in achieving independence.<ref>The Baltic States: The National Self-Determination of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
Graham Smith p.91 ISBN 0-312-16192-1</ref>

===Soviet Estonia===
{{Main|Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic|Occupation of the Baltic states|Estonian Government in Exile}}
The Soviet forces reconquered Estonia in the autumn of 1944 after fierce battles in the northeast of the country on the ], on the ] (]), in ], on the ], and in the ].

In the face of the country being re-occupied by the Red Army, tens of thousands of Estonians (including a majority of the education, culture, science, political and social specialists) (estimates as many as 80,000) chose to either retreat with the Germans or flee to Finland or Sweden. On 12 January 1949, the ] issued a decree "on the expulsion and deportation" from ] of "all ] and their families, the families of bandits and nationalists", and others.<ref name="Black book">]; Werth, Nicolas; Panne, Jean-Louis; Paczkowski, Andrzej; Bartosek, Karel; Margolin, Jean-Louis & Kramer, Mark (1999). ''The ]: Crimes, Terror, Repression''. ]. ISBN 0-674-07608-7.</ref>

More than 200,000 people are estimated to have been deported from the ] in 1940–1953. In addition, at least 75,000 were sent to ]. More than 10% of the entire adult Baltic population was deported or sent to Soviet labor camps.<ref name="Black book"/> In response to the continuing insurgency against Soviet rule,<ref>Heinrihs Strods, Matthew Kott, ''The file on operation "Priboi": A re-assessment of the mass deportations of 1949'', Journal of Baltic Studies, Volume 33, Issue 1 Spring 2002 , pp. 1–36</ref> more than 20,000 Estonians were forcibly deported either to labor camps or ] (see ]).<ref name="vr18">, p. 18</ref> Within the few weeks that followed, almost all of the remaining rural households were ].

After World War II, as part of the goal to more fully integrate Baltic countries into the ], mass deportations were concluded in the Baltic countries and the policy of encouraging Soviet immigration to the Baltic states continued.<ref name="USDS"> at US Department of State</ref> In addition to the human and material losses suffered due to war, thousands of civilians were killed and tens of thousands of people deported from Estonia by the Soviet authorities until ]'s death in 1953.

Half the deported perished, and the other half were not allowed to return until the early 1960s (years after Stalin's death).{{Citation needed|date=December 2010}} The various repressive activities of Soviet forces in 1940–1941 and after reoccupation sparked a ] against Soviet authorities in Estonia by "]" (''metsavennad''), who consisted mostly of Estonian veterans of the German and Finnish armies, and some civilians. This conflict continued into the early 1950.<ref name="vr25-30">, pages 25–30</ref> Material damage caused by the world war and the following Soviet era significantly slowed Estonia's ], resulting in a wide ] in comparison with neighboring Finland and Sweden.<ref>, pages 125, 148</ref>

] was another aspect of the Soviet regime. Large parts of the country, especially the coastal areas were closed to all but the Soviet military. Most of the sea shore and all sea islands (including ] and ]) were declared "border zones". People not actually resident there were restricted from traveling to them without a permit. A notable closed military installation was the city of ], which was entirely closed to all public access. The city had a support base for the Soviet ]'s submarines and several large military bases, including a nuclear submarine training centre complete with a full-scale model of a ] with working ]. The Paldiski reactors building passed into Estonian control in 1994 after the last Russian troops left the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kiirguskeskus.ee/image/Nonpro_Eesti.pdf |title=Tuumarelvade leviku tõkestamisega seotud probleemidest Eestis |format=PDF |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20080809032559/http://www.apiiroja.planet.ee/Paldiski.tuumaobjekt.pdf |title=Estonia had a nuclear submarine fleet – The Paldiski nuclear object |format=PDF|accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> ] was another effect of Soviet occupation. Hundreds of thousands of migrants were relocated to Estonia from other parts of the ] to assist industrialization and militarization, contributing an increase of about half a million people within 45&nbsp;years.<ref name="vr20"></ref>

===Post-independence===
{{Main|Singing Revolution|Baltic Way}}
] in 2007.]]
]

The US, UK, France, Italy and the majority of other Western democracies considered the ] illegal. They retained diplomatic relations with the representatives of the independent Republic of Estonia, never '']'' recognised the existence of the Estonian SSR, and never recognised Estonia as a legal constituent part of the Soviet Union.<ref>{{cite journal| last=European Parliament| title=Resolution on the situation in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania| journal=Official Journal of the European Communities| volume=C 42/78| date=13 January 1983| url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/80/Europarliament13011983.jpg}} "whereas the Soviet annexias{{Sic}} of the three Baltic States still has not been formally recognised by most European States and the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Vatican still adhere to the concept of the Baltic States".</ref> Estonia's return to independence became possible as the Soviet Union faced internal regime challenges, loosening its hold on the outer empire. As the 1980s progressed, a movement for Estonian autonomy started. In the initial period of 1987–1989, this was partially for more economic independence, but as the Soviet Union weakened and it became increasingly obvious that nothing short of full independence would do, the country began a course towards self-determination.

In 1989, during the "]", in a landmark demonstration for more independence, called ], a human chain of more than two million people was formed, stretching through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. All three nations had similar experiences of occupation and similar aspirations for regaining independence. The ] was issued on 16 November 1988<ref>{{cite book |title=Legal reform in post-communist Europe |last=Frankowski |first=Stanisław|coauthors=Paul B. Stephan |year=1995 |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers |isbn=0-7923-3218-0 |page=84 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=LAiYFR0MPXgC&pg=PA84}}</ref> and formal independence declared on 20 August 1991, reconstituting the pre-1940 state, during the ] in Moscow. The Soviet Union recognised the independence of Estonia on 6 September 1991. The first country to diplomatically recognize Estonia's reclaimed independence was ]. The last Russian troops left on 31 August 1994.

The ] was the largest single ] European Union (EU), both in terms of territory and population, however not in terms of gross domestic product (wealth). Estonia was amongst a group of ten countries incorporated into the EU on 1 May 2004. The ] was signed on 16 April 2003.

===Estonia as a Nordic country===
{{Main|Nordic countries}}
Many Estonians consider themselves to be ] rather than Baltic.{{citation needed|date=June 2012}} The term Baltic as a concept to group ], ], and Estonia has been criticized, as what the three nations have in common almost wholly derives from shared experiences of occupation, deportation, and oppression; what Estonia does not share with ] and ] is a common identity or language group.{{citation needed|date=June 2012}} The term ] does not apply to Estonians.

The Estonian language is closely related to the ], not to the ] and Estonians, as an ethnic group, are a ] people. The northern part of Estonia was part of medieval ] during the 13th-14th centuries, being sold to the Teutonic Order after St. George's Night Uprising in 1346. The name of the Estonian capital, ], is thought to be derived from the Estonian taani linn, meaning 'Danish town' (see ] for details). Parts of Estonia were under Danish rule again in the 16th-17th centuries, before being transferred to ] in 1645.
Estonia was part of the ] from 1561 until 1721. The Swedish era became colloquially known in Estonia as the "good old Swedish times". Swedish ambassador, Mr. Dag Hartelius's speech on the Estonian Independence day, February 24, 2009, where he considered Estonia "A Nordic Country" gathered a lot of attention in the country and was widely considered as a great compliment. Additionally, the foreign trade minister of ], ], has been quoted saying that Estonia is a "Distinct Nordic country".<ref name="Alexander Stubb interview"></ref>

{| align="center" style="text-align:center;"
|-
| {{flagicon|Estonia|size=95px}}
| ]
| ]
|-
| ]
| Proposed Estonian flag<br />featuring a Nordic cross
| Flag proposed in 1919
|}

Beginning from the 14th century, parts of Estonia’s northwestern coast and islands were colonized by ethnic Swedes, who later became known as the ]. The majority of Estonia's Swedish population fled to Sweden in 1944, escaping the advancing Soviet Army.

In 2005, Estonia joined the European Union's ].

===Territorial history timeline===
<div style="width:100%; overflow:scroll">
{{History Timeline of Estonia}}
</div>

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Estonia|Protected areas of Estonia|Climate of Estonia|Fauna of Estonia}}
]
]
] ({{lang-sv|Odensholm}}) is one of many islands in the territorial waters of Estonia.]]
]

Estonia's land border with Latvia runs 267&nbsp;kilometers; the Russian border runs 290&nbsp;kilometers. From 1920 to 1945, Estonia's border with Russia, set by the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty, extended beyond the ] in the northeast and beyond the town of ] (Petseri) in the southeast. This territory, amounting to some {{convert|2300|km2|mi2|0|sp=us}}, was incorporated into Russia by Stalin at the end of World War II. For this reason the borders between Estonia and Russia are not still defined today.

Estonia lies on the eastern shores of the ] immediately across the Gulf of Finland from Finland on the level northwestern part of the rising ] between 57.3° and 59.5°&nbsp;N and 21.5° and 28.1°&nbsp;E. Average elevation reaches only {{convert|50|m|ft|0|sp=us}} and the country's highest point is the ] in the southeast at {{convert|318|m|ft|0|sp=us}}. There is {{convert|3794|km|mi|0|sp=us}} of coastline marked by numerous bays, straits, and inlets. The number of islands and islets is estimated at some 1,500. Two of them are large enough to constitute separate counties: ] and ].<ref name="worldinfo"/><ref name="worldinfoEstonia">{{cite web|title=World InfoZone – Estonia|url=http://www.worldinfozone.com/country.php?country=Estonia|publisher=World InfoZonek, LTD.|work=World InfoZone|accessdate=20 February 2007}}</ref> A small, recent cluster of meteorite craters, the largest of which is called ] is found on ], Estonia.

Estonia is situated in the northern part of the ] and in the transition zone between ] and ]. Estonia has four seasons of near-equal length. Average temperatures range from {{convert|16.3|°C|1|abbr=on}} on the Baltic islands to {{convert|18.1|°C|1|abbr=on}} inland in July, the warmest month, and from {{convert|-3.5|°C|1|abbr=on}} on the Baltic islands to {{convert|-7.6|°C|1|abbr=on}} inland in February, the coldest month. The average annual temperature in Estonia is {{convert|5.2|°C|1|abbr=on}}.<ref name="EMHI">{{cite web|url=http://www.emhi.ee/index.php?ide=6,299,302 |title=Keskmine ohutemperatuur (°C) 1971–2000 |publisher=Emhi.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> The average precipitation in 1961–1990 ranged from {{convert|535|to|727|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} per year.<ref name=emhi2>{{cite web|url=http://www.emhi.ee/?ide=6,299,303 |title=Sademed, õhuniiskus |publisher=Emhi.ee|accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

Snow cover, which is deepest in the south-eastern part of Estonia, usually lasts from mid-December to late March. Estonia has over ]. Most are very small, with the largest, ], (Peipsi in Estonian) being {{convert|3555|km2|mi2|0|abbr=on}}. There are many rivers in the country. The longest of them are Võhandu ({{convert|162|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=/}}), Pärnu ({{convert|144|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=/}}), and Põltsamaa ({{convert|135|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=/}}).<ref name="worldinfo">{{cite web|url=http://www.worldinfozone.com/country.php?country=Estonia |title=World Info Zone |publisher=World Info Zone |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> Estonia has numerous ]s and ].

], Estonia is shared between the Central European and Eastern European provinces of the ] within the ]. According to the ], the territory of Estonia belongs to the ] of ].

===Administrative divisions===
<!-- ] redirs here. Please alter that redir if changing this one. -->
{{Main|Counties of Estonia|Municipalities of Estonia|Boroughs of Estonia|Small boroughs of Estonia|Populated places in Estonia}}
<imagemap>
File:Eesti_maakonnad_2006.svg|350px|right|Counties of Estonia
poly 149 174 230 291 137 327 40 263 ]
poly 197 110 338 228 338 319 263 375 203 242 ]
poly 225 294 271 387 233 585 38 511 21 363 ]
poly 534 33 567 172 515 174 492 245 421 185 342 240 246 141 ]
poly 531 35 567 168 514 176 572 197 569 221 594 244 597 263 666 247 693 192 670 170 666 85 ]
poly 669 77 667 170 693 192 665 246 704 273 805 244 874 107 ]
poly 340 240 422 185 490 246 475 314 443 318 433 308 374 323 338 322 ]
poly 270 375 337 318 373 327 433 307 486 314 477 352 453 361 449 408 484 421 446 495 345 546 ]
poly 476 309 515 173 573 197 569 223 594 243 596 275 546 317 505 340 484 335 491 313 ]
poly 454 365 479 348 482 334 505 338 545 319 597 366 602 379 591 454 560 462 527 507 458 486 487 418 445 401 ]
poly 597 367 546 316 597 265 665 246 707 274 735 310 684 344 ]
poly 600 365 676 347 748 300 809 443 731 412 662 452 637 439 591 461 ]
poly 525 512 556 461 637 442 662 453 658 495 632 501 652 588 622 598 ]
poly 656 492 660 452 732 412 806 445 840 514 756 522 753 501 ]
poly 634 502 659 493 756 502 756 521 816 524 765 612 654 619 ]
</imagemap>
]]]
]]]

The Republic of Estonia is divided into fifteen ] ''(Maakonnad)'', which are the administrative subdivisions of the country. The first documented mentioning of Estonian political and administrative subdivisions comes from the ], written in the 13th century during the ].<ref>] History of Estonia</ref>

A '']'' (county) is the biggest administrative subdivision.
The county government ''(Maavalitsus)'' of each county is led by a county governor ''(Maavanem)'', who represents the national government at the regional level. Governors are appointed by the ] for a term of five years. Several changes were made to the borders of counties after Estonia became independent, most notably the formation of ] (from parts of ], ] and ] counties) and ] (area acquired from Russia with the 1920 ]).

During the ], Petseri County was annexed and ceded to the ] in 1945 where it became one the districts of ]. Counties were again re-established on 1 January 1990 in the borders of the Soviet-era ]. Because of the numerous differences between the current and historical (pre-1940, and sometimes pre-1918) layouts, the historical borders are still used in ethnology, representing cultural and linguistic differences better.

Estonia is divided into 15 ] (''maakond''). Each county is further divided into ] (''omavalitsus''), which is also the smallest administrative subdivision of Estonia. There are two types of municipalities: an urban municipality – ''linn'' (town), and a ] – ''vald'' (parish). There is no other status distinction between them. Each municipality is a unit of ] with its ] and ] bodies. The municipalities in Estonia cover the entire territory of the country.

A municipality may contain one or more populated places. ] is divided into eight districts (''linnaosa'') with limited self-government (], ] (centre), ], ], ], ], ] and ]).

Municipalities range in size from Tallinn with 400,000 inhabitants to ] with as few as 60. As over two-thirds of the municipalities have a population of under 3,000, many of them have found it advantageous to co-operate in providing services and carrying out administrative functions. There have also been calls for an administrative reform to merge smaller municipalities together.

As of August 2012, there are a total of 226 municipalities in Estonia, 33 of them being urban and 193 rural.

==Politics==
{{Main|Politics of Estonia|List of political parties in Estonia|Elections in Estonia}}

] takes place in a framework of a ] ] republic in which the ] is the ] and of a ]. The political culture is very stable in Estonia, where the power is held between two to three parties, that have been in politics for a long time. This situation is similar to other countries in Northern Europe. The current prime minister of Estonia, ], is the second longest-serving prime minister in Europe.

===Parliament===
{{Main|Riigikogu}}
].]]

The Parliament of Estonia ({{lang-et|]}}) or the ] is elected by people for a four year term by ]. Estonia is a ] ] ] republic. The Estonian political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1992 ]. The Estonian parliament has 101 members and influences the governing of the state primarily by determining the income and the expenses of the state (establishing taxes and adopting the budget). At the same time the parliament has the right to present statements, declarations and appeals to the people of Estonia, ratify and denounce international treaties with other states and international organisations and decide on the Government loans.<ref>, </ref>

The Riigikogu elects and appoints several high officials of the state, including the President of the Republic. In addition to that, the Riigikogu appoints, on the proposal of the ], the Chairman of the National Court, the Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Estonia, the Auditor General, the Legal Chancellor and the Commander-in-Chief of the ]. A member of the Riigikogu has the right to demand explanations from the Government of the Republic and its members. This enables the members of the parliament to observe the activities of the executive power and the above mentioned high officials of the state.

===Government===
{{Main|Government of Estonia|Prime Minister of Estonia|President of Estonia}}
] Hill]]

The ] ({{lang-et|Vabariigi Valitsus}}) or the ] is formed by the ], nominated by the president and approved by the parliament. The government exercises executive power pursuant to the ] and the laws of the Republic of Estonia and consists of 12 ministers, including the prime minister. The prime minister also has the right to appoint other ministers and assign them a subject to deal with. These are ''ministers without portfolio''—they don't have a ministry to control.

The prime minister has the right to appoint a maximum of 3 such ministers, as the limit of ministers in one government is 15. It is also known as the cabinet. The cabinet carries out the country's domestic and foreign policy, shaped by parliament; it directs and co-ordinates the work of government institutions and bears full responsibility for everything occurring within the authority of executive power. The government, headed by the ], thus represents the political leadership of the country and makes decisions in the name of the whole executive power.

Estonia has pursued the development of the ] and ]. ] is used in elections in Estonia.<ref>, ]</ref> The first Internet voting took place in the 2005 local elections and the first in a parliamentary election was made available for the ], in which 30,275 individuals voted over the Internet. Voters have a chance to invalidate their electronic vote in traditional elections, if they wish to. In 2009 in its 8th Worldwide Press Freedom Index, ] ranked Estonia 6th out of 175 countries.<ref>Reporters Without Borders. </ref> In the first ever ] report, Estonia was ranked 1st out of 159 countries.

===Law===
{{Main|Law of Estonia}}
{{See also|Police and Border Guard Board}}

According to the ] ({{lang-et|Põhiseadus}}) the supreme power of the state is vested in the people. The people exercise their supreme power of the state on the elections of the Riigikogu through citizens who have the right to vote.<ref>, </ref> The supreme ] is vested in the ] or ], with 19 justices.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20110722122621/http://www.nc.ee/index.php|title=Riigikohus|publisher=Riigikohus|language=Estonian|accessdate=8 October 2009}}</ref> The Chief Justice is appointed by the parliament for nine years on nomination by the president. The official ] is the ], who gives assent to the laws passed by ], also having the right of ] and proposing new laws.

The president, however, does not use these rights very often, having a largely ceremonial role. He or she is elected by ], with two-thirds of the votes required. If the candidate does not gain the amount of votes required, the right to elect the president goes over to an electoral body, consisting of the 101 members of Riigikogu and representatives from local councils. As other spheres, Estonian law-making has been successfully integrated with the ].

===Foreign relations===
{{Main|Foreign relations of Estonia|Diplomatic missions of Estonia|Estonia–Russia relations|Estonia – United States relations}}
], and his wife, first lady ] in ] with ] and first lady ] in 2009.]]

Estonia was a member of the ] from 22 September 1921,<ref>{{cite book|author=Herbert Whittaker Briggs|title=The law of nations: cases, documents, and notes|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=HsIzAAAAIAAJ|accessdate=24 December 2011|year=1952|publisher=Appleton-Century-Crofts|page=106}}</ref> has been a member of the United Nations since 17 September 1991,<ref>Estonian date of admission into the ]</ref> and of ] since 29 March 2004,<ref>Estonian date of admission into the ]</ref> as well as the European Union since 1 May 2004.<ref>Estonian date of admission into the ]</ref> Estonia is also a member of the ] (OSCE), ] (OECD), ] (CBSS) and the ] (NIB). As an OSCE participating State, Estonia’s international commitments are subject to monitoring under the mandate of the ]. Estonia has also signed the ].
] since 2004.]]
Since regaining independence, Estonia has pursued a foreign policy of close cooperation with its Western European partners. The two most important policy objectives in this regard have been accession into ] and the European Union, achieved in March and May 2004 respectively. Estonia's international realignment toward the West has been accompanied by a general deterioration in relations with Russia, most recently demonstrated by the controversy surrounding the relocation of the ] WWII memorial in Tallinn.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6604647.stm | work=BBC News | title=Estonia blames Russia for unrest | date=29 April 2007 | accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref>

]
Since the early 1990s, Estonia is involved in active trilateral ] co-operation with ] and ], and Nordic-Baltic co-operation with the ]. The Baltic Council is the joint forum of the interparliamentary ] ''(BA)'' and the intergovernmental Baltic Council of Ministers ''(BCM)''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vm.ee/?q=en/node/4096|title=Estonian Chairmanship of the Baltic Council of Ministers in 2011|publisher=Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs|accessdate=11 August 2012}}</ref> ] is the joint co-operation of the governments of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden.<ref name="NB8">{{cite web|url=http://www.vm.ee/?q=en/node/4097|title=Nordic-Baltic Co-operation|publisher=Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs|date=10 July 2012|accessdate=11 August 2012}}</ref> Nordic-Baltic Six ''(NB-6)'', comprising Nordic-Baltic countries that are ] member states, is a framework for meetings on ] related issues. Parliamentary co-operation between the Baltic Assembly and Nordic Council began in 1989. Annual summits take place, and in addition meetings are organised on all possible levels: speakers, presidiums, commissions, and individual members.<ref name="NB8"/> The ] has an office in ] with a subsidiary in ] and information points in ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norden.org/en/nordic-council-of-ministers/the-secretariat-to-the-nordic-council-of-ministers/nordic-council-of-ministers-information-offices-in-the-baltic-states-and-russia|title=Nordic Council of Ministers' Information Offices in the Baltic States and Russia|publisher=Nordic Council of Ministers|accessdate=11 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norden.ee/en/about-us/about-us|title=Norden in Estonia|publisher=Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia|accessdate=11 August 2012}}</ref> Joint Nordic-Baltic projects include the education programme Nordplus<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nordplusonline.org/eng/nordplus/about_nordplus|title=Nordplus|publisher=Nordic Council of Ministers|accessdate=11 August 2012}}</ref> and mobility programmes for business and industry<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nb8businessmobility.org/|title=Nordic-Baltic Mobility and Network Programme for Business and Industry|publisher=Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Latvia |accessdate=11 August 2012}}</ref> and for public administration<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norden.ee/en/about-us/funding/mobility-programme-for-public-administration|title=Nordic-Baltic mobility programme for public administration|publisher=Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia|accessdate=11 August 2012}}</ref>.

An important element in Estonia's post-independence reorientation has been closer ties with the ], especially Finland and Sweden. Indeed, Estonians consider themselves a Nordic people rather than ],<ref>, 2004</ref><ref>, 2002</ref> based on their historical ties with Sweden, Denmark and particularly Finland. In December 1999, then Estonian foreign minister (and since 2006, ]) ] delivered a speech entitled "Estonia as a Nordic Country" to the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vm.ee/?q=en/node/3489|title=Estonia as a Nordic Country|last=Ilves|first=Toomas Hendrik|authorlink=Toomas Hendrik Ilves|date=14 December 1999|publisher=Estonian Foreign Ministry|accessdate=19 September 2009}}</ref> In 2003, the ] also hosted an exhibit called "Estonia: Nordic with a Twist".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sm.ee/eng/pages/goproweb0689 |title=Estonia – Nordic with a Twist|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080208100817/http://www.sm.ee/eng/pages/goproweb0689 |archivedate=8 February 2008}}</ref>

In 2005, Estonia joined the European Union's ]. It has also shown continued interest in joining the ].
Whereas in 1992 Russia accounted for 92% of Estonia's international trade,<ref name="The Estonian Economic Miracle">{{cite web|author=Mart Laar|date=7 August 2007|url=http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/08/the-estonian-economic-miracle |title=The Estonian Economic Miracle |publisher=Heritage.org |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> today there is extensive economic interdependence between Estonia and its Nordic neighbors: three quarters of ] in Estonia originates in the Nordic countries (principally Finland and Sweden), to which Estonia sends 42% of its exports (as compared to 6.5% going to Russia, 8.8% to Latvia, and 4.7% to Lithuania). On the other hand, the Estonian political system, its ] of income tax, and its non-welfare-state model distinguish it from the ] and their ], and indeed from many other European countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.investinestonia.com/pdf/ForeignTrade2007.pdf |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080307050806/http://www.investinestonia.com/pdf/ForeignTrade2007.pdf |archivedate=7 March 2008 |title=Foreign investment |format=PDF|accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

The ] for large-scale IT systems will be based in ], which is due to start operations at the end of 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/agency/index_en.htm|title=EU Agency for large-scale IT systems|publisher=European Commission|date=20 July 2012|accessdate=11 August 2012}}</ref> Estonia will hold the ] in the first half of 2018.

===Military===
{{Main|Military of Estonia}}
].]]
] XA-180 in Afghanistan.]]
], ].]]

The military of Estonia is based upon the Estonian Defence Forces ({{lang-et|Kaitsevägi}}), which is the name of the unified armed forces of the republic with '']'' (Army), '']'' (Navy), '']'' (Air Force) and a paramilitary national guard organization '']'' (Defence League). The Estonian National Defence Policy aim is to guarantee the preservation of the ] and ] of the state, the ] of its land, territorial waters, airspace and its constitutional order.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mil.ee/index_eng.php |title=Estonian National Defence Policy |publisher=Mil.ee|accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> Current strategic goals are to defend the country's interests, develop the armed forces for ] with other ] and EU member forces, and participation in ].

The current national ] ({{lang-et|ajateenistus}}) is compulsory for men between 18 and 28, and conscripts serve eight-month to eleven-month tours of duty depending on the army branch they serve in. Estonia has retained ] unlike Latvia and Lithuania and has no plan to transition to a ]. In 2008, annual military spending reached 1.85% of GDP, or 5&nbsp;billion ], and was expected to continue to increase until 2010, when a 2.0% level was anticipated.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mod.gov.ee/?op=body&id=6 |title=Estonian Defence Budget |publisher=Mod.gov.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

Estonia co-operates with ] and ] in several trilateral ] defence co-operation initiatives, including Baltic Battalion (BALTBAT), Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON), Baltic Air Surveillance Network (BALTNET) and joint military educational institutions such as the ] in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vm.ee/?q=en/node/4105|title=Baltic Defence Co-operation|publisher=Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs|date=January 2002|accessdate=11 August 2012}}</ref> Future co-operation will include sharing of national infrastructures for training purposes and specialisation of training areas (BALTTRAIN) and collective formation of battalion-sized contingents for use in the ] rapid-response force.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kam.lt/en/news_1098/news_archives/news_archive_2011/news_archive_2011_-_12/baltic_defence_ministers_announced_new_defence_cooperation_initiatives.html|title=Baltic Defence Ministers announced new defence cooperation initiatives|publisher=Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania|date=12 December 2011|accessdate=11 August 2012}}</ref> In Januari 2011 the ] were invited to join ], the defence framework of the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vm.ee/?q=en/node/10686|title=Nordic Countries Invite Baltics to Join Defence Co-operation Framework|publisher=Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs|date=21 January 2011|accessdate=11 August 2012}}</ref>

As of January 2008, the Estonian military had almost 300 troops stationed in foreign countries as part of various international peacekeeping forces, including 35 ] troops stationed in Kosovo; 120 ] soldiers in the ]-led ] force in Afghanistan; 80 soldiers stationed as a part of MNF in Iraq; and 2 Estonian officers in Bosnia-Herzegovina and 2 Estonian military agents in Israeli occupied ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20110504080436/http://operatsioonid.kmin.ee/index.php?page=86& |title=Iisrael, Liibanon ja Süüria|language=Estonian|publisher=Operatsioonid.kmin.ee |date=26 April 2010 |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

The Estonian Defence Forces have also previously had military missions in Croatia from March until October 1995, in Lebanon from December 1996 until June 1997 and in Macedonia from May until December 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mil.ee/?menu=operatsioonid&sisu=operatsioonid6 |title=Former operations |publisher=Mil.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> Estonia participates in the ] and has announced readiness to send soldiers also to Sudan to ] if necessary, creating the very first African ] mission for the armed forces of Estonia.<ref>, ] (in Estonian)</ref>

The ] and the Defence Forces have been working on a ] and ] ] for some years now. In 2007, a ] of an ] was officially introduced as the country was under ].<ref name="bbc_gal">{{cite news|publisher= BBC|date = 25 January 2008|accessdate=23 February 2008|title = Estonia fines man for 'cyber war'|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7208511.stm}}</ref> The proposed aim of the e-military is to secure the vital ] and ] of Estonia. The main cyber warfare facility is the Computer Emergency Response Team of Estonia (CERT), founded in 2006. The organization operates on security issues in local networks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ria.ee/?id=28201 |title=CERT Estonia |publisher=Ria.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

On 25 June 2007, Estonian president ] met with the President of the US, ].<ref>] 4 May 2007: </ref> Among the topics discussed were the attacks on Estonian e-infrastructure.<ref>Yahoo/] 25 June 2007: </ref> The attacks triggered a number of military organisations around the world to reconsider the importance of network security to modern military doctrine. On 14 June 2007, defence ministers of ] members held a meeting in ], issuing a joint ] promising immediate action. First public results were estimated to arrive by autumn 2007.<ref>Ahto Lobjakas . ] 15 June 2007</ref>

As to the placement of a NATO ] (CCDCOE), Bush announced his support of Estonia as this centre's location.<ref>Krister Paris . ] 28 June 2007</ref> In the aftermath of the 2007 cyberattacks, plans to combine network defence with Estonian military doctrine have been nicknamed as the Tiger's Defence, in reference to Tiigrihüpe.<ref>. Office of the President of Estonia. 25 June 2007</ref> The CCDCOE started its operations in November 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mil.ee/?id=2513 |title=Kaitsevägi – Uudised |publisher=Mil.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Estonia}}
].]]
].]]

As a member of the European Union, Estonia is considered a high-income economy by the ]. The country is ranked 16th in the 2012 ], with the freest economy in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.<ref>http://www.heritage.org/index/country/estonia. Indext of Economic Freedom 2012. Retrieved 6/13/2012.</ref> Because of its rapid growth, Estonia has often been described as a ]. Beginning 1 January 2011, Estonia adopted the euro and became the 17th ] member state.<ref name="euroreuters">{{cite news|last=Mardiste|first=David|title=Estonia joins crisis-hit euro club|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/01/us-estonia-euro-idUSTRE6BU0S720110101|accessdate=2 January 2011|date=1 January 2011|agency=]}}</ref>

According to published at 21 October 2011, Estonia has the lowest ratio of government debt to GDP among EU countries as 6.7 percent at the end of 2010. The world media has lately started to describe Estonia as a Nordic country, emphasizing the economic, political and cultural differences between Estonia and its less successful Baltic neighbors.<ref name="The Economist - Estonia will be the Nordic kitten">{{cite news| url=http://www.economist.com/blogs/theworldin2011/2010/12/baltic_states_will_show_their_differences_2011 | work=The Economist | title=The best Balt will be Nordic}}</ref>

A balanced budget, almost non-existent ], flat-rate income tax, free trade regime, competitive commercial banking sector, innovative ] and even mobile-based services are all hallmarks of Estonia's market economy.

Estonia is producing ca 75% of its consumed electricity.<ref> 08.06.2010 (Estonian)</ref> Over 85% of it generated with locally mined ].{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}}. Alternative energy sources such as wood, peat, and biomass make up approximately 9% of primary energy production. Renewable wind energy part was ca 6% of total consumption in 2009.<ref> 22.09.2010 (Estonian)</ref> Estonia imports needed petroleum products from western Europe and Russia. ] energy, telecommunications, textiles, chemical products, banking, services, food and fishing, timber, shipbuilding, electronics, and transportation are key sectors of the economy. The ] of ], near ], is a modern facility featuring good transshipment capability, a high-capacity grain elevator, chill/frozen storage, and brand-new oil tanker off-loading capabilities. The railroad serves as a conduit between the West, Russia, and other points to the East.

], the EU single market and ] (dark blue).]]

Estonia today is mainly influenced by developments in Finland, Sweden and Germany, it's three largest trade partners. The government recently increased its spending on innovation by a considerable amount. The prime minister of ] has aimed to raise Estonian ] to one of the EU's highest by 2022.

Because of the ], the GDP of Estonia decreased by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter of 2008, over 3% in the 3rd quarter of 2008, and over 9% in the 4th quarter of 2008. The Estonian government made a supplementary negative budget, which was passed by ]. The revenue of the budget was decreased for 2008 by EEK 6.1&nbsp;billion and the expenditure by EEK 3.2&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fin.ee/?id=80290 |title=Ministry of Finance |publisher=fin.ee |date=15 May 2008 |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> In 2010, the economic situation stabilized and started a growth based on strong exports. In the fourth quarter of 2010, Estonian industrial output increased by 23% compared to the year before.<ref name="Stat">{{cite web|url=http://www.stat.ee/pohinaitajad |title=Eesti Statistika – Enim nõutud statistika |publisher=Stat.ee |date=23 March 2010 |accessdate=5 June 2011}}</ref>

According to ] data, Estonian PPS GDP per capita stood at 67% of the EU average in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/2-25062009-BP/EN/2-25062009-BP-EN.PDF|title=GDP per capita in PPS|publisher=Eurostat|accessdate=25 June 2009}}</ref> In March 2011, the average monthly gross salary in Estonia was 843€ <ref name="Stat"/><ref name="Salaries">{{cite web|author=Alyona Stadnik |url=http://www.ap3.ee/article/2011/5/25/keskmine-palk-tousuteel |title=aripaev.ee – Keskmine palk tõusuteel |publisher=Ap3.ee |accessdate=5 June 2011}}</ref>

However, there are vast disparities in GDP between different areas of Estonia; currently, over half of the country's GDP is created in ], the capital and largest city.<ref name="BBN">{{cite web|author=Kaja Koovit |url=http://www.balticbusinessnews.com/?PublicationId=f47e445a-e234-432f-b7b0-137ca0bff47d |title=bbn.ee – Half of Estonian GDP is created in Tallinn |publisher=Balticbusinessnews.com |date=1 June 2011 |accessdate=5 June 2011}}</ref> In 2008, the GDP per capita of Tallinn stood at 172% of the Estonian average,<ref name="Statistics">. Statistics Estonia. State.ee. 29 September 2008. Retrieved on 23 December 2011.</ref> which makes the per capital GDP of Tallinn as high as 115% of the ] average, exceeding the average levels of other counties.

The unemployment rate is around 11.7%, which is above the EU average,<ref> E24.ee. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 3.05.11 (Estonian)</ref> while real GDP growth as of 2011 was 8.0%,<ref name="Statistics Estonia"></ref> five times the euro-zone average. As of 2012, Estonia remains the only euro member with a budget surplus, and with a national debt of only 6%, it is one of the least indebted countries in Europe.<ref>http://www.cnbc.com/id/47691090/. CNBC, "Estonia Uses the Euro, and the Economy is Booming," June 5, 2012. Retrieved 6/13/2012.</ref>

===Historic development===
] ] in Estonia, 2000–2011.]]
]'s economic theories have had a large influence on the development of the Estonian economic policies.]]

By 1929, a stable currency, the '']'', was established. It is issued by the ], the country's ]. Trade focused on the local market and the West, particularly Germany and the United Kingdom. Only 3% of all commerce was with the USSR.

Before the Second World War Estonia was mainly an ] country whose products such as butter, milk and cheese were widely known on the ] markets.
The USSR's forcible ] in 1940 and the ensuing ] and ] occupation during World War II crippled the Estonian economy. Post-war ] of life continued with the integration of Estonia's economy and industry into the USSR's centrally planned structure.

Since ], Estonia has styled itself as the gateway between East and West and aggressively pursued economic reform and integration with the West. Estonia's market reforms put it among the economic leaders in the former ] area. In 1994, based on the economic theories of ], Estonia became one of the first countries to adopt a ], with a uniform rate of 26% regardless of personal income. In January 2005, the personal income tax rate was reduced to 24%. Another reduction to 23% followed in January 2006. The income tax rate was decreased to 21% by January 2008.<ref>, Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Estonia</ref> The ] finalised the design of ] in late 2004, and adopted the euro as the country's currency on 1 January 2011, later than planned due to continued high inflation.<ref name="euroreuters"/><ref name="euro-EFP">{{cite news| url=http://web.archive.org/web/20110710203542/http://www.estonianfreepress.com/2009/03/estonia-gets-closer-to-the-euro/| newspaper=Estonian Free Press| title=Estonia Gets Closer to the Euro| last=Angioni| first=Giovanni| date=31 March 2009| accessdate=22 November 2009}}</ref>

In 1999, Estonia experienced its worst year economically since it regained independence in 1991, largely because of the impact of the ]. Estonia joined the ] in November 1999. With assistance from the European Union, the ] and the ], Estonia completed most of its preparations for European Union membership by the end of 2002 and now has one of the strongest economies of the new member states of the European Union. Estonia joined the ] in 2010.

===Resources===
Although Estonia is in general resource-poor, the land still offers a large variety of smaller resources. The country has large ] and ] deposits, along with forests that cover 50.6% of the land.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.envir.ee/375987 |title=Eesti on metsariik |publisher=envir.ee |accessdate=2 January 2011}}</ref> In addition to oil shale and limestone, Estonia also has large reserves of ], ], and ] that currently are not mined, or not mined extensively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ut.ee/BGGM/maavara/dityoneema.html |title=Uranium production at Sillamäe |publisher=Ut.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

Significant quantities of rare earth oxides are found in tailings accumulated from 50 years of ], ] and ] mining at ].<ref>{{cite book |title=Turning a Problem Into a Resource: Remediation and Waste Management at the Sillamäe Site, Estonia |last=Rofer |first=Cheryl K. |coauthors=Tõnis Kaasik |series=Volume 28 of NATO science series: Disarmament technologies |year=2000 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-0-7923-6187-9 |page=229}}</ref> Because of the rising prices of rare earths, extraction of these oxides has become economically viable. The country currently exports around 3000 tonnes per annum, representing around 2 percent of world production.<ref>{{cite news |title=Estonia's rare earth break China's market grip |author=Anneli Reigas |newspaper=AFP |date=1 December 2010 |url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5itXbI57zv-lwfcaFdBdh7UZXuVuA?docId=CNG.a00f68010092a06189a0276c763e93a4.141 |accessdate=1 December 2010}}</ref>

In recent years,{{When|date=February 2011}} public debate has discussed whether Estonia should build a nuclear power plant to secure energy production after closure of old units in the ], if they are not reconstructed by the year 2016.<ref>, ]. 25 June 2008 (in Estonian)</ref>

===Industry and environment===
{{See also|Oil shale in Estonia|Narva Power Plants|Wind power in Estonia}}
]. ]]
] software was created by Estonian developers and is mainly developed in Estonia.]]

Food, construction, and electronic industries are currently among the most important branches of Estonia's industry. In 2007, the construction industry employed more than 80,000 people, around 12% of the entire country's workforce.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.investinestonia.com/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=118&op=page&SubMenu= |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071021094336/http://www.investinestonia.com/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=118&op=page&SubMenu= |archivedate=21 October 2007 |title=Invest in Estonia: Overview of the Construction industry in Estonia |publisher=Web.archive.org |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> Another important industrial sector is the machinery and chemical industry, which is mainly located in ] and around ].

The oil shale based ], which is also concentrated in ], produces around 90% of the entire country's electricity. The extensive ] usage however has also caused severe damage to the environment. Although the amount of pollutants emitted to the air have been falling since the 1980s,<ref name=Auer>M. Auer (2004). Estonian Environmental Reforms: A Small Nation's Outsized Accomplishments. In: ''Restoring Cursed Earth: Appraising Environmental Policy Reforms in Eastern Europe and Russia.'' Rowman & Littlefield. pp 117–144.</ref> the air is still polluted with ] from the mining industry that the Soviet Union rapidly developed in the early 1950s. In some areas the coastal seawater is polluted, mainly around the ] industrial complex.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact2005/geos/en.html |title=Environment – current issues in Estonia. CIA Factbook|publisher=Umsl.edu |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

Estonia is a dependent country in the terms of energy and energy production. In recent years many local and foreign companies have been investing in renewable energy sources. The importance of wind power has been increasing steadily in Estonia and currently the total amount of energy production from wind is nearly 60 ] while at the same time roughly 399&nbsp;MW worth of projects are currently being developed and more than 2800&nbsp;MW worth of projects are being proposed in the ] area and the coastal areas of ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tuuleenergia.ee/?path=0x139x173 |title=Estonian Wind Power Association |publisher=Tuuleenergia.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref><ref>, Postimees. 21 October 2007 (in Estonian)</ref><ref>Henrik Ilves , '']''. 13 June 2008 (in Estonian)</ref>

Currently{{When|date=February 2011}}, there are plans to renovate some older units of the Narva Power Plants, establish new power stations, and provide higher efficiency in oil shale based energy production.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://enrin.grida.no/htmls/estonia/env2001/content/soe/air_2-3.htm |title=State Environment in Estonia |publisher=Enrin.grida.no |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> Estonia liberalised 35% of its electricity market in April 2010. The electricity market as whole will be liberalised by 2013.
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.evi.ee/lib/Security.pdf|title=Developing Estonian energy policy hand in hand with EU energy packages|format=PDF |accessdate=18 August 2010}}</ref>

Together with Lithuania, Poland, and Latvia, the country is considering to participate in the ] in Lithuania to replace the ].<ref name=wnn-lt>{{cite news
| url = http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN_Visaginas_recognised_with_nuclear_site_name_3007082.html
| title = Visaginas recognised with nuclear site name
| publisher = World Nuclear News
| date=30 July 2008
| accessdate=31 July 2008}}
</ref><ref name="le">
{{cite web
| url = http://web.archive.org/web/20110722151647/http://www.lpc.lt/en/main/news/press?ID=469
| title = Nuclear Power Plant Project in Lithuania is Feasible. Press release
| date=25 October 2006
| publisher = ]
| accessdate=13 July 2007}}
</ref> However, due to the slow pace of the project, Estonia does not rule out building its own nuclear reactor. Another consideration is doing a joint project with Finland because the two electricity grids are connected.<ref>{{cite web|author=Mike Collier in association with BNS |url=http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/19881/ |title=Estonia to become nuclear power? |publisher=Baltictimes.com |date=22 February 2008 |accessdate=5 June 2011}}</ref> The country is considering to apply nuclear power for its oil shale production.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbj.hu/index.php?id=37240|title=World Environment News – INTERVIEW – Tiny Estonia Could Go Nuclear, Sees Oil Shale Hope – Planet Ark |publisher=bbj.hu|date=6 March 2008 |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

Estonia has a strong ] ], partly owing to the ] project undertaken in mid-1990s, and has been mentioned as the most "wired" and advanced country in Europe in the terms of .<ref>, August 2007</ref>

Skype was written by Estonia-based developers ], Priit Kasesalu, and ], who had also originally developed ].<ref>{{cite web
| url=https://infocus.credit-suisse.com/app/article/index.cfm?fuseaction=OpenArticle&aoid=163167&coid=7805&lang=EN|author=Andreas Thomann|date=6 September 2006
| title=Skype&nbsp;– A Baltic Success Story
| publisher=credit-suisse.com
| accessdate=24 February 2008}}</ref>

===Trade===
{{Main|Tallinn Stock Exchange}}

]
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="float:right; text-align:left; font-size:90%; margin:10px"
|- style="font-size:100%; text-align:left"
! style="width:120px;"|]!! style="width:60px;"|Export
!! style="width:60px;"|Import
|-
| Finland||style="text-align:right"|18.4%||style="text-align:right"|18.2%
|-
| Sweden||style="text-align:right"|12.4%||style="text-align:right"|9%
|-
| Latvia||style="text-align:right"|8.9%||style="text-align:right"|5.7%
|-
| Russia||style="text-align:right"|8.1%||style="text-align:right"|13.1%
|-
| Germany||style="text-align:right"|5.1%||style="text-align:right"|12.4%
|-
| Lithuania||style="text-align:right"|4.8%||style="text-align:right"|6.4%
|}
Estonia has had a ] since the end of 1990s and one of the highest per capita ] levels in Eastern Europe. Proximity to the Scandinavian markets, location between the East and West, competitive cost structure and high-skill labour force have been the major Estonian comparative advantages in the beginning of the 2000s (decade). ] as the largest city has emerged as a ] and the ] joined recently with the ] system. The current government has pursued tight ] policies, resulting in balanced budgets and low ].

In 2007, however, a large current account deficit and rising inflation put pressure on ], which was pegged to the euro, highlighting the need for growth in export-generating industries.
Estonia exports mainly machinery and equipment, wood and paper, textiles, food products, furniture, and metals and chemical products.<ref name="CIAworld">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/en.html |title=CIA World Factbook: Estonia |publisher=Cia.gov |accessdate=23 December 2010}}</ref> Estonia also exports 1.562&nbsp;billion ] hours of electricity annually.<ref name="CIAworld"/> At the same time Estonia imports machinery and equipment, chemical products, textiles, food products and transportation equipment.<ref name="CIAworld"/> Estonia imports 200&nbsp;million kilowatt hours of electricity annually.<ref name="CIAworld"/>

Between 2007 and 2013, Estonia receives 53.3&nbsp;billion ] (3.4&nbsp;billion euros) from various European Union Structural Funds as direct supports by creating the largest foreign investments into Estonia ever.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://struktuurifondid.ee/ |title=European Union Structural Funds in Estonia |publisher=Struktuurifondid.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> Majority of the European Union financial aid will be invested into to the following fields: energy economies, entrepreneurship, administrative capability, education, information society, environment protection, regional and local development, research and development activities, healthcare and welfare, transportation and labour market.<ref>. Riigi Raha Raamat. 21 July 2011 (in Estonian)</ref>

===Transport===
{{Main|Transport in Estonia|Rail transport in Estonia}}
].]]
] is the Estonian national airline.]]
] and ], ], ], and ].]]
Estonia has been an important transit centre since the medieval period. The country's favorable geographical location, along with its developing ], offers good opportunities for all transport and logistics related activities. ] dominates the cargo sector, carrying 70% of all goods, both domestic and international.

The road transport sector dominates passenger transport;
almost 90% of all passengers travel by road. The reconstruction of the Tallinn–Tartu motorway has gained national attention as it connects two of the largest cities in the country. The motorway reconstruction (2+2 route) is part of the current Government Coalition programme.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.valitsus.ee/?id=1468 |title=Programme of the Coalition for 2007–2011: Rural life, regional and infrastructure development policy |publisher=Valitsus.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}{{dead link|date=June 2011}}</ref>
Also the proposed permanent connection to ] is in the national infrastructure building programme. The costs of the projects have been estimated in billions of Euros, which have also gained a lot of media attention and caused public debates over the feasibility.<ref> (in Estonian)</ref>

Five major cargo ports offer easy navigational access, deep waters, and good ice conditions. The ] of Tallinn is the largest passenger port, and one of the biggest and busiest passenger harbours in the Baltic region. It served a record 8.48 million passengers in 2011.<ref>{{cite news |title=Port of Tallinn increased its passenger volumes to nearly 8.5 million |url=http://www.portoftallinn.com/news?art=187|publisher=portoftallinn.ee |date=6 January 2012 |accessdate=28 April 2012}}</ref> There are 12 airports and one ] in Estonia, of which the ] is the largest airport, providing services to a number of international carriers flying to 23 destinations.

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Estonia}}
{{bar box
|float = right
|title = Residents of Estonia by ethnicity (2012)<ref name="stat.ee-nationality"/>
|bars =
{{bar percent|Estonians|DarkSlateGray|68.7}}
{{bar percent|Russians|DarkSlateGray|24.8}}
{{bar percent|Ukrainians|DarkSlateGray|2.0}}
{{bar percent|Belarusians|DarkSlateGray|1.1}}
{{bar percent|Finns|DarkSlateGray|0.8}}
{{bar percent|Others|DarkSlateGray|1.6}}
}}
]

Before World War II, ethnic Estonians constituted 88% of the population, with national minorities constituting the remaining 12%.<ref name="ethnic minor">{{cite web|url=http://old.estinst.ee/factsheets/ethnic_minor/|date=26 December 1998 |title=Ethnic minorities in Estonia: past and present |publisher=Einst.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> The largest minority groups in 1934 were ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. The share of ] had fallen from 5.3% (~46,700) in 1881 to 1.3% (16,346) in 1934.<ref name="ethnic minor"/><ref name="baltic germans">. Estonian Institute www.einst.ee</ref>

Between 1945 and 1989, the share of ethnic Estonians in the population resident within the currently defined boundaries of Estonia dropped to 61%, caused primarily by the Soviet programme promoting mass immigration of urban industrial workers from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, as well as by wartime emigration and ]'s mass deportations and executions. By 1989, minorities constituted more than one-third of the population, as the number of non-Estonians had grown almost fivefold.

At the end of the 1980s, Estonians perceived their demographic change as a ]. This was a result of the ] policies essential to the ] aiming to ] Estonia &mdash; forceful administrative and military immigration of non-Estonians from the USSR coupled with the mass deportations of Estonians to the USSR. During the purges up to 110,000 Estonians were killed or deported. In the decade following the reconstitution of independence, large-scale emigration by ethnic Russians and the removal of the Russian military bases in 1994 caused the proportion of ethnic Estonians in Estonia to increase from 61% to 69% in 2006.

Modern Estonia is a fairly ethnically heterogeneous country, but this heterogeneity is not a feature of much of the country as the non-Estonian population is concentrated in two of Estonia's counties. Thirteen of Estonia's 15 counties are over 80% ethnic Estonian, the most homogeneous being ], where Estonians account for 98.4%of the population. In the counties of ] (including the capital city, ]) and ], however, ethnic Estonians make up 60% and 20% of the population, respectively. ] make up 25.6% of the total population but account for 36% of the population in Harju county and 70% of the population in Ida-Viru county.

The law on the was passed in 1925 &mdash; the first in Europe.{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}} Cultural autonomies could be granted to ] numbering more than 3,000 people with longstanding ties to the Republic of Estonia. Before the ], the Germans and Jewish minorities managed to elect a cultural council. The Law on Cultural Autonomy for National Minorities was reinstated in 1993. Historically, large parts of Estonia's northwestern coast and islands have been populated by indigenous ethnically ] (Coastal Swedes).

The majority of Estonia's Swedish population of 3,800 fled to Sweden or were deported in 1944, escaping the advancing Red Army. In recent years the numbers of Coastal Swedes has risen again, numbering in 2008 almost 500 people, owing to the property reforms in the beginning of 1990s. In 2005, the ] minority in Estonia elected a cultural council and was granted cultural autonomy. The ] minority similarly received cultural autonomy in 2007.

===Urbanization===
{{Main|List of cities and towns in Estonia}}
Tallinn is the capital and the largest city of Estonia. It lies on the northern coast of Estonia, along the ]. There are 33 cities and several town-parish towns in the country. In total, there are 47 ''linn''a, with "linn" in English meaning both "cities" and "towns". More than 70% of the population lives in towns. The 20 largest cities are listed below:
{{Estonian cities}}
{{-}}

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Estonia}}
]: The tallest building in the world between 1549 and 1625.<ref>]</ref>]]
]'s church, ]]]

{{Bar box
| title=Religion in Estonia (2000)
| float=right
| bars=
{{Bar percent|No religion|SlateGray|70.8}}
{{Bar percent|]|DodgerBlue|13.6}}
{{Bar percent|]|DeepPink|12.8}}
{{Bar percent|Other religions|YellowGreen|2.8}}
}}

Estonia's constitution guarantees freedom of religion, separation of church and state, and individual rights to privacy of belief and religion.<ref>] Article 40.–42.</ref> According to the Dentsu Communication Institute Inc, Estonia is one of the ] countries in the world, with 75.7% of the population claiming to be ]. The ] Poll 2005 found that only 16% of Estonians profess a belief in a god, the lowest belief of all countries studied (EU study).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf |title=Social Values|format=PDF |accessdate=5 June 2011}}</ref>

The largest religious faith in the country is ], adhered to by 152,000 Estonians (or 14.8%) of the population, principally ethnic Estonians. 143,000 inhabitants follow the ] Christianity, practised chiefly by the Russian minority.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.holy-trinity.org/estonia/7.19.95.government.html |title=Estonia Today – Religion |publisher=Holy Trinity |date=8 June 1993 |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref><ref name="pub.stat.ee">{{cite web|url=http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/I_Databas/Population_census/16Religious_affiliation/16Religious_affiliation.asp |title=Statistical database: Population Census 2000 – Religious affiliation |publisher=Statistics Estonia |date=22 October 2002 |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

According to the census of 2000, there were about 152,000 ], 143,000 ]s, 5,000 Roman Catholics, 4,268 ]<ref>. Watchtower.org. Retrieved on 23 December 2011.</ref>, and 1,000 adherents of ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.maavald.ee/eng/uudised.html?rubriik=50&id=363&op=lugu |title=Maavald |publisher=Maavald.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.estinst.ee/publications/estonianculture/II_MMIII/kaasik.html |title= Old Estonian Religions|author=Ahto Kaasik |publisher=Einst.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/world/europe/09iht-estonia.4.18535971.html |title=Some Estonians return to pre-Christian animist traditions |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Ellen |last=Barry |date=9 November 2008 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref> or ] in Estonia (see ]). The Jewish community has an estimated population of about 1,900 (see ]). In addition, around 68,000 people consider themselves ].<ref name="pub.stat.ee"/>

The country was Christianised by the ] in the 13th century.
During the ], Protestantism spread, and the Lutheran church was officially established in Estonia in 1686. Still, many Estonians profess not to be particularly religious, because religion through the 19th century was associated with German feudal rule.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.country-studies.com/estonia/religion.html |title=Estonia – Religion |publisher=Country Studies |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>
Historically, there has been another minority religion, ], near ] area in ].

===Society===
{{See also|Human rights in Estonia}}
] in Tallinn]]
[[File:Citizenship of the Estonian population (2010-07-02).png|thumb|Citizenship of the Estonian population (2 July 2010). Data is from Estonia.eu.
{{legend|#63aafe|Estonian: 1,148,895}}
{{legend|#dd2d32|Russian: 95,939}}
{{legend|#fff58c|Others: 21,517}}
{{legend|#4ee257|Stateless: 99,173}}
]]
Estonian society has undergone considerable changes over the last twenty years, one of the most notable being the increasing level of stratification, and the distribution of family income. The ] has been steadily higher than the European Union average (31 in 2009),<ref>. Retrieved 7 Nov 2011</ref> although it has clearly dropped. The registered unemployment rate in January 2012 was 7.7%.<ref>. Estonian unemployment office (in Estonian)</ref>

Today's Estonia is a multinational country where, according to the 2000 census, 109 languages are spoken. 67.3% of Estonian citizens speak ] as their native language, 29.7% Russian, and 3% speak other languages.<ref name="PopulationByNationality">{{cite web |url=http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=PC223&ti=POPULATION+BY+THE+PLACE+OF+RESIDENCE+AND+MOTHER+TONGUE&path=../I_Databas/Population_census/08Ethnic_nationality._Mother_tongue._Command_of_foreign_languages/&lang=1 |title=Population by the place of residence and mother tongue, statistical database: Population Census 2000|date=July 2010|publisher=Statistics Estonia (government agency at the area of administration of the Ministry of Finance)|accessdate=19 June 2009}}</ref> As of 2 July 2010, 84.1% of Estonian residents are Estonian citizens, 8.6% are citizens of other countries and 7.3% are "citizens with undetermined citizenship".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://estonia.eu/about-estonia/society/citizenship.html |title=Citizenship |publisher=Estonia.eu|date=13 July 2010|accessdate=18 August 2010}}</ref> Since 1992 roughly 140,000 people have acquired Estonian citizenship through ].<ref>, ''Postimees''. 9 January 2009</ref>

The ethnic distribution in Estonia is very homogeneous, where in most counties over 90% of the people are ethnic ]. There is a bigger difference in larger cities like ], where Estonians account for 60% of the population. The rest is mainly comprised from Russian and other Slavic background inhabitants, who arrived in Estonia during the Soviet occupation.

According to surveys, only 5% of the Russian community have considered turning back to Russia in the near future. Estonian Russians have developed their own identity &mdash; more than half of the respondents recognised that Estonian Russians differ noticeably from the Russians in Russia. When comparing the result with a survey from 2000, then Russians’ attitude toward the future is much more positive.<ref name="Societal survey">. (2006, PDF in Estonian/English). Retrieved on 23 December 2011.</ref>

====Family====

Upon giving birth, the Estonian government grants one of the parents 100% of their former salary for 18 months, plus 320 euros of one-time support per child. After 18 months, the parent has the right to resume her/his former position. In addition, the parent and child receive free healthcare. Parents who did not work before giving birth (unemployed, students, etc.) receive 278 euros a month; the top salary is capped at 2157 euros a month.<ref>. (in Estonian) Retrieved 8 Nov 2011</ref> These measures, which have been in force from 2005, have not been proven to have had a major positive effect on the birth rate in Estonia, which has increased already since 2001.<ref>PRAXIS analysis on the measure of Parental Compensation http://www.sm.ee/fileadmin/meedia/Dokumendid/Sotsiaalvaldkond/VorkKaru_PRAXIS_Vanemahyvitis13.02.2006.pdf Retrieved 8 Nov 2011</ref>

Those policy measures concentrate on the first 18 months of the child's life. After 18 months, the monthly state support to a child goes down to 19 euros a month (for the first two children) and 58 euros (for three or more children), plus free healthcare. There are many exceptions and added bonuses to the rule. For example, the child of a single parent receives twice the sum of child support. The child of an army member receives five times the sum of the child support, and children in foster families receive 20 times the sum of the child support. Despite considerable variation and fluctuations in the support to the family with children, the majority of Estonian families do not face great hardships and the '']'' 2011 report ranked Estonia as the 18th best country in the world to be a mother, ahead of countries like ] and ].<ref name="State of the World's Mothers 2011">. Savethechildren.org. 2011. (PDF) Retrieved on 23 December 2011.</ref>

===Languages===
{{main|Languages of Estonia}}
]
The official language, ], belongs to the ] branch of the ]. Estonian is closely related to Finnish, spoken on the other side of the ], and is one of the few languages of Europe that is not of an ] origin. Despite some overlaps in the vocabulary due to borrowings, in terms of its origin, Estonian and Finnish are not related to their nearest geographical neighbours, Swedish, ], and Russian, which are all Indo-European languages.

Russian is still spoken as a secondary language by forty- to seventy-year-old ethnic Estonians, because Russian was the unofficial language of the ] from 1944 to 1991 and taught as a compulsory second language during the ] era. In 1998, most first- and second-generation industrial immigrants from the former Soviet Union (mainly ]) did not speak Estonian.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ies.ee/15102000.htm |title=Kirch, Aksel. "Russians in contemporary Estonia – different strategies of the integration in to the nation-state." |publisher=Ies.ee |date=10 February 1998 |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> However, by 2010, 64.1% of non-ethnic Estonians spoke Estonian.<ref> accessed 30 April 2011</ref>

The latter, mostly Russian-speaking ethnic minorities, reside predominantly in the capital city of Tallinn and the industrial urban areas in ]. In the small ] in ] (known as ''Nuckö kommun'' in Swedish and ''Noarootsi vald'' in Estonian) there are 22 villages with bilingual names.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eki.ee/knn/p2y.htm |title=Names of populated places changed with the reform of 1997 |publisher=Institute of the Estonian Language |date=29 September 1998 |accessdate=12 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.noavv.ee/swe |title=Information about the bilingual Estonian/Swedish parish of Noarootsi |publisher=Noavv.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

The most common foreign languages learned by Estonians are English, Russian, Finnish, German, and Swedish.

===Education and science===
{{Main|Education in Estonia}}
{{See also|List of universities in Estonia|Space science in Estonia|Tiigrihüpe}}
] is one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe and the highest-ranked university in Estonia]]
]
]]]
]]]
The history of formal education in Estonia dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries when the first ] and ] were founded. The first primer in the Estonian language was published in 1575. The oldest university is the ], established by the Swedish king ] in 1632. In 1919, university courses were first taught in Estonian language.

Today's education in Estonia is divided into general, vocational, and hobby. The education system is based on four levels: pre-school, basic, secondary, and higher education.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hm.ee/index.php |title=Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium |publisher=Hm.ee |accessdate=23 December 2010}}</ref> A wide network of schools and supporting educational ] have been established. The Estonian education system consists of state, municipal, public, and private institutions. There are currently 589 schools in Estonia.<ref>. Estonian Education Infosystem, (in Estonian)</ref>

According to the ], the performance levels of gymnasium-age pupils in Estonia is among the highest in the world: as of 2010, the country was ranked 13th in the quality of its education system, well above the OECD average.<ref>http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/54/12/46643496.pdf. OECD PISA 2009 Executive Summary. Retrieved 6/12/2012</ref> Additionally, around 89% of Estonian adults aged 25–64 have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, one of the highest rates in the industrialized world.<ref>http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/estonia/. OECD Better Life Index 2012. Retrieved 6/12/2012.</ref>

Academic higher education in Estonia is divided into three levels: bachelor's, master's, and doctoral studies. In some specialties (basic medical studies, veterinary, pharmacy, dentistry, architect-engineer, and a classroom teacher programme) the bachelor's and master's levels are integrated into one unit.<ref name="EurydiceSummary">{{cite web |url=http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/eurybase/national_summary_sheets/047_EE_EN.pdf|title=National summary sheets on education systems in Europe and ongoing reforms: Estonia |date=February 2009|publisher=]|accessdate=19 September 2009}}</ref> Estonian public universities have significantly more autonomy than applied higher education institutions.

In addition to organizing the academic life of the university, universities can create new curricula, establish admission terms and conditions, approve the budget, approve the development plan, elect the rector, and make restricted decisions in matters concerning assets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bologna-berlin2003.de/en/national_reports/index.htm |title=Implementation of Bologna Declaration in Estonia |publisher=Bologna-berlin2003.de |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> Estonia has a moderate number of public and private universities. The largest public universities are the ], ], ], ], ]; the largest private university is Estonian Business School.

The ] is the ] of science. The first computer centres were established in late 1950s in Tartu and Tallinn. Estonian specialists contributed in the development of software engineering standards for ministries of the Soviet Union during the 1980s.<ref name=Kalja>{{cite book|editor=Detlef Kochan|title=Software for manufacturing: proceedings of the 7th International IFIP/IFAC Conference on Software for Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Dresden, German Democratic Republic, 14–17 June 1988 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=5EiaAAAAIAAJ|accessdate=24 December 2011 |year=1989|publisher=North-Holland|isbn=978-0-444-87342-2|author=A. Kalja, J. Pruuden, B. Tamm, E. Tyugu|chapter=Two Families of Knowledge Based CAD Environments|pages=125–134}}</ref><ref name=Jaakkola>H. Jaakkola, A. Kalja, ''Estonian Information Technology Policy in Government, Industry and Research. In: Technology Management: Strategies and Applications.'' (Vol. 3, No. 3), 1997, pp 299–307</ref> Estonia spends around 1.44% of its GDP on ], compared to an EU average of around 2%.<ref>http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS/countries/1W-EE-EU?display=graph. World Bank graph, "Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)." 2009. Retrieved 6/13/2012.</ref>

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Estonia|List of Estonians}}
].]]
] Art Museum of Estonia]]
]]]
The ] incorporates indigenous heritage, as represented by the Estonian language and the ], with mainstream ] and European cultural aspects. Because of its history and geography, Estonia's culture has been influenced by the traditions of the adjacent area's various Finnic, Baltic, Slavic and Germanic peoples as well as the cultural developments in the former dominant powers Sweden and Russia.

Today, Estonian society encourages liberty and ], with popular commitment to the ideals of the limited government, discouraging centralized power and corruption. The ] remains a significant cultural staple, and free education is a highly prized institution. Like the mainstream culture in the other Nordic countries, Estonian culture can be seen to build upon the ascetic environmental realities and traditional livelihoods, a heritage of comparatively widespread ] out of practical reasons (see: ] and ]), and the ideals of closeness to nature and ] (see: ]).<ref>], ]</ref> However, Estonians separate themselves from Nordic culture in that they believe freedom is more important than equality.

The ] (Estonian: Eesti Kunstiakadeemia, EKA) is providing higher education in art, design, architecture, media, art history and conservation while Viljandi Culture Academy of ] has an approach to popularize native culture through such curricula as native construction, native blacksmithing, native textile design, traditional handicraft and traditional music, but also jazz and church music. In 2010, there were 245 ]s in Estonia whose combined collections contain more than 10 million objects.<ref>. ''Postimees'', 10-30-2011. (in Estonian)</ref>

===Literature===
{{Main|Literature of Estonia}}
{{See also|Estophile}}

]'' written by ].]]
] has illustrated many book series by ], for example '']'' and '']''.]]
The ] refers to literature written in the ] (ca. 1&nbsp;million speakers).<ref> at ]</ref> The domination of Estonia after the ], from the 13th century to 1918 by Germany, Sweden, and Russia resulted in few early written literary works in the Estonian language. The oldest records of written Estonian date from the 13th century. ''Originates Livoniae'' in ] contains Estonian place names, words and fragments of sentences. The '']'' (1241) contains Estonian place and family names.<ref name="DWE">{{cite book|author=George Kurman|title=The development of written Estonian|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ZmxkAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=24 December 2011|year=1968|publisher=Indiana University}}</ref>

The cultural stratum of Estonian was originally characterized by a largely lyrical form of folk poetry based on syllabic quantity. Apart from a few albeit remarkable exceptions, this archaic form has not been much employed in later times. One of the most outstanding achievements in this field is the national epic ]. At a professional level, traditional folk song reached its new heyday during the last quarter of the 20th century, primarily thanks to the work of composer ].

] was the most prominent prose writer of the early Estonian literature, who is still widely read today, especially his lyrical school novel ''Kevade'' (Spring).<ref> Estonica.org</ref> ]'s social epic and psychological realist ] '']'' captured the evolution of Estonian society from a peasant community to an independent nation.<ref> Estonica.org</ref><ref> Pegasos, Helsinki</ref> In modern times, ] and ] are Estonia's best known and most translated writers.<ref> at google.books</ref> Among the most popular writers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries are ] and ], who uses elements of Estonian folklore and mythology, deforming them into absurd and ].<ref> Estonian Literature Centre</ref>

===Media===
{{See also|List of Estonian films|List of Estonian war films}}

The ] started in 1908 with the production of a newsreel about Swedish King ]'s visit to Tallinn.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.estinst.ee/publications/kultuur/cinema.html |title=Cinema of Estonia |publisher=Einst.ee |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref> The first public TV broadcast in Estonia was in July 1955. Regular, live radio-broadcasts began already in December 1926. Deregulation in the field of electronic media has brought radical changes compared to the beginning of 1990s. The first licenses for private TV broadcasters were issued in 1992. The first private radio station went on the air in 1990.

Today the media is a vibrant and competitive sector. There is a plethora of weekly newspapers and magazines, and Estonians have a choice of 9 domestic TV channels and a host of radio stations. The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, and Estonia has been internationally recognized for its high rate of press freedom, having been ranked 3rd in the 2012 ] by ].<ref>http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2011-2012,1043.html. Press Freedom Index 2011-2012. Retrieved 6/13/2012.</ref>

Estonia has two news agencies. The ] (BNS), founded in 1990, is a private regional news agency covering Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The ETV24 is an agency owned by ] who is a publicly funded radio and television organization created on 30 June 2007 to take over the functions of the formerly separate ] and ] under the terms of the Estonian National Broadcasting Act.<ref>{{cite book|title=Europe on a Shoestring|last=Johnstone|first=Sarah|year=2007|publisher=Lonely Planet|page=325|isbn=978-1-74104-591-8|url=http://books.google.com/?id=_xvS1r8Ql0AC&pg=PA325|accessdate=17 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Campaigning in Europe|last=Maier|first=Michaela|year=2006|publisher=LIT Verlag Berlin-Hamburg-Münster|isbn=978-3-8258-9322-4|page=398|url=http://books.google.com/?id=j9NjsybIcgoC&pg=PA398|accessdate=17 September 2009}}</ref>

===Music===
{{Main|Music of Estonia}}
{{See also|Estonian national awakening|Estonian Song Festival|Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest}}
] (2009) at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds]]
] performing in Tallinn in 2008.]]
], Estonia's most renowned composer.]]

The earliest mentioning of Estonian singing dates back to ] ''Gesta Danorum'' (ca. 1179).<ref>{{cite book|author1=Sir George Grove|author2=Stanley Sadie|title=The New Grove dictionary of music and musicians|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=8I4YAAAAIAAJ|accessdate=24 December 2011|date=June 1980|publisher=Macmillan Publishers|isbn=978-0-333-23111-1|page=358}}</ref> Saxo speaks of Estonian warriors who sang at night while waiting for a battle. The older folksongs are also referred to as '']ud'', songs in the poetic metre '']'' the tradition shared by all ]. Runic singing was widespread among Estonians until the 18th century, when rhythmic folk songs began to replace it.

Traditional wind instruments derived from those used by ]s were once widespread, but are now becoming again more commonly played. Other instruments, including the ], ], ], and ] are used to play ] or other dance music. The ] is a native instrument that is now again becoming more popular in Estonia. A was opened in 2008 in ].<ref>Margus Haav . Postimees. 27 March 2008 (in Estonian)</ref>

The tradition of ]s (''Laulupidu'') started at the height of the ] in 1869. Today, it is one of the largest amateur ] events in the world. In 2004, about 100,000 people participated in the Song Festival. Since 1928, ] (''Lauluväljak'') host the event every five years in July. The next festival takes place in 2014. In addition, Youth Song Festivals are also held in every four or five years, last of them in 2011.<ref>. Estonian Song and Dance Celebration Foundation</ref>

Professional Estonian musicians and composers such as ], ], and ] emerged in the late 19th century. At the time of this writing, the most known Estonian composers are ], ], and ].

In the 1950s, Estonian ] ] rose to worldwide prominence as an opera singer.

In popular music, Estonian artist ] has become popular in Europe, as well as gaining moderate popularity in North America. She has provided music for the 2010 ] film '']'' and the television series '']'' in the United States of America.

Estonia won the ] in 2001 with the song "]" performed by ] and ]. In 2002, Estonia hosted the event. ] has competed for Estonia on two occasions (1996 and 1997), while ], ] and ] owe their popularity partly to the Eurovision Song Contest. ] is a very popular singer in ], with her band ]. "]" by ], was the first ever song in Estonian to chart in the UK, Belgium, and Switzerland.

===Holidays===
{{main|Public holidays in Estonia}}
The Estonian ] is the ] celebrated on 24 February, the day the ] was issued. As of 2010, there are 12 public holidays (which come with a day off) and 12 national holidays celebrated annually.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pühade ja tähtpäevade seadus|url=https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/13276841|publisher=Riigi Teataja|accessdate=19 December 2010|language=Estonian|date=In effect since 26 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Estonian Holidays in 2010|url=http://www.vm.ee/en/node/5753|publisher=Estonian Foreign Ministry|accessdate=19 December 2010}}</ref>
{{Holidays of Estonia}}

===Cuisine===
{{Main|Estonian cuisine}}
{{See also|Kama (food)|Kalev (confectioner)|Kohuke|Verivorst}}
{{multiple image
| align = right
| footer = Two of the most popular ]s in Estonia.
| footer_align = center
| width =
| image1 = A. Le. Coq..jpg
| width1 = 120
| alt1 =
| caption1 = ]
| image2 = Saku Originaal 2009.jpg
| width2 = 120
| alt2 =
| caption2 = ] Originaal
}}
], 2010.]]

Historically, the cuisine of Estonia has been heavily dependent on seasons and simple peasant food, which today is influenced by many countries. Today, it includes many typical international foods. The most typical foods in Estonia are black bread, pork, potatoes, and dairy products.<ref> (in Estonian)</ref> Traditionally in summer and spring, Estonians like to eat everything fresh – berries, herbs, vegetables, and everything else that comes straight from the garden. Hunting and fishing have also been very common, although currently hunting and fishing are enjoyed mostly as hobbies. Today, it is also very popular to grill outside in summer.

Traditionally in winter jams, preserves, and pickles are brought to the table. Estonia has been through rough times in the past and thus gathering and conserving fruits, mushrooms, and vegetables for winter has always been essential. Today, gathering and conserving is not that common, because everything can be bought from stores, but preparing food for winter is still very popular in the countryside and still has somewhat ritual significance. Being a country with a large coastline, fish has also been very important.

===Sports===
{{Main|Sport in Estonia}}

Sport plays an important role in Estonian culture. After declaring independence from Russia in 1918, Estonia first competed as a nation at the ], although the National Olympic Committee was established in 1923. Estonian athletes took part of the Olympic Games until the country was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940. The ] ] was held in the capital city ]. After regaining independence in 1991, Estonia has participated in all Olympics. Estonia has won most of its medals in ], ], ] and ].

The list of notable Estonian athletes include wrestlers ], ], and ], skiers ] and ], decathlonist ], tennis player ], cyclists ] and ] and discus throwers ] and ].

], a relatively new sport, was invented in 1996 by Ado Kosk in Estonia. Kiiking involves a modified swing in which the rider of the swing tries to go around 360&nbsp;degrees.

], Estonian and Soviet chess grandmaster, was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s. He narrowly missed a chance at a World Chess Championship match on even five occasions.

==International rankings==
The following are links to international rankings of Estonia.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! style="width:60%;"| Index
! style="width:15%;"| Rank
! style="width:20%;"| Countries reviewed
|-
|align="left"| ] 2010
| 14th || 157
|-
|align="left"| ] Yearly Privacy ranking of countries, 2007
| 5th || 45
|-
|align="left"| ] Press Freedom Index 2011-2012
| 3rd || 179
|-
|align="left"| ]
| 1st || 159
|-
|align="left"| ] 2010<ref name="HDI"/>
| 34th || 169
|-
|align="left"| ] 2010
| 29th || 178
|-
|align="left"| ] 2009–2010
| 25th || 133
|-
|align="left"| ] 2011
| 17th || 158
|-
|align="left"| State of The World's Children's Index 2012<ref>http://www.savethechildren.org/atf/cf/%7B9def2ebe-10ae-432c-9bd0-df91d2eba74a%7D/STATEOFTHEWORLDSMOTHERSREPORT2012.PDF</ref>
| 10th || 165
|-
|align="left"| State of The World's Women's Index 2012
| 18th || 165
|-
|align="left"| ] 2011
| 33rd || 110
|}

According to ] Estonia has one of the fastest Internet download speeds in the world with an average download speed of 27.12 Mbit/s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.netindex.com/ |title=Household Download Index |accessdate=12 February 2012}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Geography|<!--Eurasia-->|Europe|<!--Northern Europe-->|<!--Baltic States-->|European Union|NATO|Estonia}}
* ]
* ]
* <!-- ] -->
* {{wikipedia books link|Estonia}}
*]
*]
*]
*]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* ] ''''. The European Union and its enlargement to the East. Book in Italian. ''Viaggio nell’Hansa baltica''. L’Unione europea e l’allargamento ad Est. Greco&Greco editori, Milano, 2004. ISBN 88-7980-355-7
* {{Cite book|last=Hiden|first=John|coauthors=and Patrick Salmon|title=The Baltic Nations and Europe: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in the Twentieth Century|year=1991|publisher=Longman|location=London|isbn=0-582-08246-3}}
* {{Cite book|last=Laar|first=Mart|authorlink=Mart Laar|title=War in the Woods: Estonia's Struggle for Survival, 1944–1956|year=1992|others=trans. Tiina Ets|publisher=Compass Press|location=Washington, D.C.|isbn=0-929590-08-2}}
* {{Cite book|last=Lieven|first=Anatol|authorlink=Anatol Lieven|title=The Baltic Revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Path to Independence|year=1993|publisher=Yale University Press|location=New Haven|isbn=0-300-05552-8}}
* {{Cite book|last=Raun|first=Toivo U.|title=Estonia and the Estonians|year=1987|publisher=Hoover Institution Press, Stanford University|location=Stanford, Calif.|isbn=0-8179-8511-5}}
* {{Cite book|last=Smith|first=David J.|title=Estonia: Independence and European Integration|year=2001|publisher=Routledge|location=London|isbn=0-415-26728-5}}
* {{Cite book|last=Smith|first=Graham (ed.)|title=The Baltic States: The National Self-determination of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania|year=1994|publisher=St. Martin's Press|location=New York|isbn=0-312-12060-5}}
* {{Cite book|last=Taagepera|first=Rein|authorlink=Rein Taagepera|title=Estonia: Return to Independence|year=1993|publisher=Westview Press|location=Boulder, Colo.|isbn=0-8133-1199-3}}
* {{Cite book|last=Taylor|first=Neil|title=Estonia|year=2004|edition=4th|publisher=Bradt|location=Chalfont St. Peter|isbn=1-84162-095-5}}
* {{Cite book|last=Williams|first=Nicola|coauthors=Debra Herrmann, and Cathryn Kemp|title=Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania|year=2003|edition=3rd|publisher=Lonely Planet|location=London|isbn=1-74059-132-1}}
* {{Cite book|last=Subrenat|first=Jean-Jacques (Ed.)|authorlink=Jean-Jacques Subrenat|title=Estonia, identity and independence|year=2004|publisher=Rodopi|isbn=90-420-0890-3|unused_data=Amsterdam & New York}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|Estonia|s=Estonia OR Esthonia}}
{{cookbook}}
; Government
*
*
*
*
*
*

; Travel
*
*
*
* {{Wikitravel}}

; Maps
*
* {{osmrelation-inline|79510}}

; General information
*
*
* {{CIA World Factbook link|en|Estonia}}
*
* at ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
* {{dmoz|Regional/Europe/Estonia|Estonia}}
* {{Wikiatlas|Estonia}}
* from ]

;News
*
*
*
*
*
*

;Weather and time
*

{{Navboxes
|title=Articles related to Estonia
|list=
{{Estonia topics|state=expanded}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Geographic national
|list =
{{Historic counties of Estonia}}
{{Counties of Estonia}}
{{Municipalities of Estonia}}
{{Cities of Estonia}}
{{Boroughs of Estonia}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Geographic international
|list =
{{Baltic states}}
{{Sovereign states of Europe}}
{{Countries bordering the Baltic Sea}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Estonia in the European Union
|list =
{{EU members}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title = International membership
|list =
{{North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)}}
{{World Trade Organization}}
{{Council of Europe members}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Languages
|list =
{{Uralic languages}}
}}
{{Coord|59|N|26|E|type:country_scale:9000000_region:EE|display=title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2012}}

{{Geographic Location
| Centre = Estonia
| North = Gulf of Finland
| Northeast = Russian Federation
| East = Russian Federation
| Southeast = Russian Federation
| South = Republic of Latvia
| Southwest = Gulf of Riga
| West = Baltic Sea
| Northwest = Baltic Sea
}}

]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

{{Link GA|eo}}
{{Link FA|af}}
<!--Other languages-->

]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Revision as of 12:55, 6 September 2012

Redirect to: